The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1909-11-26
BRYAN for Prohibition,

/ new Issue which William j. Bryan Is
preparing to spring on the democratic
party. Mr.. Bryan will, within less
/ than one month, make the announce
ment which will plunge the party into
most bitter strife and will bring about
n complete realignment of the present
democratic factions. II the attack on
the liquor interest is successful and
the rank and file of the party follow
him, Mr.. Bryan expects to find himself
again at the head of party with a
living issue. But should the demo-
Gratis of the country fail to rally to his
cry against the liquor interest Mr.
Bryan's future course is problemat
icaL
The announcement of this step will
be made in series of articles which
Mr. Bryan has already prepared and
which will soon be published, in which
Mr.. Bryan has already prepared and
which will soon be published. in which
he makes the most bitter attack on
the saloon and whisky interest that
he is capable of making. To those
who have been permitted to read
these articles, ii is plain that Mr.. Bry-
an has exhausted his vocabulary of
vituperative adjectives in his charac-
terization of the whisky trade.
And while these bitterly denuncia-
tory articles are appearing in print,
Mr.. Bryan will be in South America,
far from the sting which will be con-
tanned in the answers made by his for
mer friends.
At the outset, Mr.. Bryan.s declara.
ton of independence of the whisky
interests is to be confined to the state
of Nebraska, but afterwards 1t is to
be extended to other states until the
national democratic party has either
declared for prohibition or has re-
fused to so declare.
With the south, the stronghold of
the democratic party, already practic-
ally on the side of prohibition and be-
lieved to be ready to fall into line and
adopt the new issue, Mr.. Bryan will
: wage his fiercest battles in the north
and west, where he expects to develop
sufficient strength to enable him to
write a prohibition plank in the next
national democratic platform.
Mr.. Bryan lays his defeat in former
campaigns to the liquor interests,
which, he believes, have made use of
the democratic party whenever that
party has been needed by the whisky
interests. and at other times has
KNITTED" the democratic candidates on
all sides. For the sake of party har-
| no al inf ainaI
still tongue and has never taken a
, stand against the whisky interests.
But now he is determined, even at the
risk of being accused of attempting
to get even," to come out against
whisky with all the power and might
of his tongue and pen.
Incidentally, it may he stated that
while Mr.. Bryan says he is not now a
candidate for any Office, the opinion of
the Nebraska party leaders is that
Mr.. Bryan believes the success of his
new movement will make him at least
, eligible to the senate or even the pres
idency.
Means Disruption in Nebraska.
In this state Mr.. Bryan's new issue
will simply tear the democratic party
all to pieces. He has confined his flu
ture course to many of the leaders of
the party and has been told by the
wheel horses" that they cannot follow
him. He will, therefore, Ego it alone
and will attempt to carry with him a
,, sufficient number of the rank and file
of the party to enable him to control
the conventions and write the plat
forms. Failing in this, not even his
closest friends can outline Mr.. Bryan's
further actions.
Just as soon as Mr.. Bryan has left
the country on his South American
tour the fight will begin. There are
, those among the leaders of the party
who will say this tour was planned in
order that Mr.. Bryan might be beyond
the reach of any influence which could
be brought to cause him to discontinue
his crusade.
Will Favor County option.
The full force of Mr.. Bryans attack
will not be disclosed with the opening
gun and not until the last one of his
articles appears will his position be
fully stated But he will, early in the
: series, make it plain that he will make
the fight in Nebraska on the insertion
of county option plank in the demo
cratic platform.
| Right there Mr.. Bryan will lose the
} support of Governor Shallenberger
who is opposed to county option and
I is standing on the present daylight sa-
, loon act which he, as governor, ap'
, proved. He expects reelection on a
platform affirming the efficacy of this
= law Governor Shallenberger has not
| yet announced that he will fight Mr..
Bryan, but he has stated that he will
, fight county option, for which Mr..
; Bryan stands.
: Another wheelhorse who will desert
Bryan is Mayor Jim" Dahlman of
Omaha, who has for ten years been
known as Bryan's closest personal
and political friend" and who man.
. aged the Denver convention in 1908 for
Bryan Mayor Dahlman stands on a
personal liberty plank and he will be
candidate for UoyarnOrc hin now