The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1909-09-15

vish the Journal continued for another year a.
t.r the tina paid for has expired. Jon should
orrvSoasly notify % 20 disco0tinne It
GRANGE IN ADDREBS-whsa ordering .
,hanes In The sddrsss. Subscribers should Be sofs
to give thsir old - vsu - thear new address.
TOWARDS "PLAIN TALK"
Under the head of "Time for Plain
Talk" Editor Edgar Howard last
week threw q bomb shell into the
ranks IF the local leaders of the Dahl.
man faction ofthe democratic party of
Platte county and the Personal Rights
League by bolaly announcing that the
democracy of the state will not stand
for the Dahlman program. No names
are mentioned, but q careful reading
of Mr.. Howard's editorial would con-
vince anyone familiar with the politics
of Platte county that the plain talk"
INDUCED BY the Telegram is a note of
warning to Chris Gruenther, John
Byrnes and the democratic members of
the Personal Rights League that ifthe
alleged program to force Jim Dahl
man upon the party Is gubenatorial
candidate is carried out, the admirers
of Governor Shallenberger will vote
for and assist in electing the republi-
can candidate. I'VE sound the warn
ing now" Mr.. Howard says, so that
the bosses shall not be in position to
say that they did not hear it in time
to avoid making fatal mistake.
The Telegram further says: "The
democratic candidate for governor
must be opposed to prohibition, but he
must be in favor of existing law"
This plain talk" from the pen of
Mr.. Howard, who edits the leading
democratic weekly paper of the state
and Is q man of influence in his party,
will have . tendency to strengthen
Shallenberger faction in this county
and At the same time widening the gap
that divided the two factions. All
that the friends of the governor need
ed to give him a fighting chance in
Platte, was the leadership of some
prominent democrat of commanding
influence to champion his cause, and
the prediction is made that when the
fight is over the Dahlmanites will
know that they have had strenuous
opposition. Mr.. Towards influence
in moulding party sentiment extends
beyond the border of Platte county and
the stand he has taken against the
candidacy of jim Dahlman and the
men who are managing his campaign
in Platte county will infuse new life
into the Shallenberger following
throughout the state, although his de-
mand that the democratic candidate
for governor must be a man "who is
opposed al the time to prohibition"
is contrary to the stand the democratic
party has taken on the prohibition
question in past years. In only three
republican states are prohibition laws
in force today. During the past six
ty-three years twenty-six northern
states have had prohibitory law,
but al, with the exception of Maine,
Kansas and North Dakota have re-.
turned to the license system. The
first state prohibitory law ever enact
ed was passed in Maine with the aid of
democratic votes ten years before the
republican party was organized. In
1854 democrats were instrumental in
passing . prohibition law in Connect
cut, and in 1855 the then democratic
state Of New York passed strigent law
1t the demand of the prohibitionists.
10 1887 president Cleveland established
prohibition in the territory of Alaska.
Since that time about half the states
that cast their electoral vote for Mr..
Bryan have adopted prohibition. and
if their demands are complied with
the next convention will adopt "a
platform containing . plank advocat-
ing national prohibition.
The democrats and prohibitionists
are natural allies. In the presidential
campaign Of 1884 a deal was made by
the democratic national committee with
leading prohibitionists which resulted
in the defeat Of james g. Blaine and
the election Of Grover Cleveland.
For . democrat to stand up now and
practically denounce his late allies
sounds amusing, when the record of
bis party on the prohibition question
i . matter Of history which any man
can familiarise himself with BY little |
dilligent search.