The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-10-17
AT BRYAN'S HOME
Review of Political Situation in
Nebraska.
Democratic Candidate Has Evil
IDENTIFY Grown in Popularity.
THEY ARE AGGRESSIVE
Friends Never So Active as They
New Are.
Hope to Carry State Ticket
With Them.
(By H. G. Mcvickerl


Lincoln, Neb.. Oct 17.-Posted con-
spicuously and in bold lettering on on.
OF the walls Of the Democratic head
quarters rooms in Lincoln eight wears
ago was the following: Nebraska for
Bryan by Twelve Thousand" The nre-
diction was thought to be modest he
cause Mr. Bryan then, as now. was the
candidate of his party for president
and was making a vigorous canvass for
the electoral vote of his home state. The
prophecy of the Democratic countries
was not realized, because William NC
hinley carried the state in 1900 nv N
plurality not greatly below the figures
predicted for his opponent, and Ne
prasKa since then has been gradually
increasing Its Republican vote Never
| theless the Democratic state COMMITTEES
Is Just as sanguine this fall as eight
years ago that its candidate for presi-
dent VIII carry the state by a plurality
| larger than predicted in 1900 and NOT
that alone, but will take with him in
the victory band wagon the entire state
ticket. four of the six congressman and
a majority of the Democratic nominees
| for the legislature.
| There is ground for the rosy-hued
predictions of the Democrats. Mr. Bry-
| an has been growing in popularity in
| his home state in the fact of two ma
| t1onal defeats. He has never failed to
| say a good word for Nebraska and Ne
| oraska likes him for it. His greatest
gain in the state will be right here in
| his home town and county, and his
/ warm supporters say the sentiment is
not confined to Lincoln, but spreads all
| over Nebraska. This is the sentimental
side. On the practical side is the fact
| that the Democrats here were never SC
| aggressive and so well prepared to
make a good fight with a campaign
| fund as ample as that of the Repub-
| licans and a platform which they con-
| hdently assert appeals to the young
voters and those who waver between
the two parties at every election. Fur
| thermore there is fairly compact fusion
| between the Democrats and Populists,
and the Populists, dwindling, as they
admit themselves to be, hold the bal
ance of power when they are united on
| any single candidate. Nebraska Popu-
/ lists are as nearly solid for Bryan as
thew can be. They repudiated Thomas
| E. Watson openly at the ST. Louis con-
vention, boiling defiantly and announc-
| ing their intention Of voting for Will
lam ]. Bryan If he became the NOM
inee of any party
The Democratic state ticket cannot,
however, count on the solid Populist
support because they feel they were
unfairly treated in the state gatherings
of the two parties at which tentative
understanding was hadNas to the minor
nominees on the fusion ticket. Ne
braska holds no nominating conven-
| tions, the different tickets being placed
| in the field by means of the statewide
direct primary. This was fatal to the
chances of the Populists, in each
instance their candidate received d
| minority vote and some of them re-
sent what they believe is an effort to
| ignore them by their allies The situa-
4 ton is further complicated by the fact
| that in two instances-for governor and
| state auditor-there are Democratic
and Populist nominees. On the pri-
mary ballot for the Democratic and
agreemen) were Ashton c. Shallen-
berger and George w. Berge, both
| Democrats. Mr.. Shallenberger won the
| Democratic nomination by a substan-
tial majority, but Mr.. Berge was slight
| ly in the lead as the choice of the Pop
| ulists. 1t has been asserted that there
| was an unwritten understanding that
| the candidate receiving the smallest
| aggregate vote of the two parties
should withdraw in favor of his more
| fortunate competitor. This Mr.. Berge
| has thus far failed to do. majority
of the Populists, it is claimed will rec
| ognize Mr.. Shallenberger as the regu-
| lar fusion candidate, but the primary
law is mandatory, and Mr.. Berge's
| name will appear on the ballot unless
| he formally notified the secretary OF
| state at a specified time that his name
is not to be printed on the official roll
That Mr.. Bryan will lead the vote on
the Democratic ticket the managers of
| all the parties agree. The Republicans
| assert with confidence that he is the
only Democrat who stands any chance
| at all of carrying Nebraska and that
i his chances are none too good. The Re
publicans claim the opposition has al
| ready abandoned hope of electing the
| state ticket, and is bending its entire
| energy toward securing victory at
| home for the presidential nominee. The
Republicans further point to the fact
| that Nebraska is normally Republican,