Omaha daily bee., 1909-11-24

A dispatch to the New York Times from
Lircoln purports to give out some interest
ing news about the coming campaign issues
with which Nebraska democrats are to
struggle for control Of Nebraska. Under
date Of November 20 the dispatch says:
THE new issue which william J. Bryan
is preparing to force on the democratic
party is prohibition. Within a month he
will make an announcement which will
plunge the party into bitter strife, and win
bring about a complete realignment Of the
pi esent factions. II the attack on the
liquor interest is successful, and the rank
and the file follow him, Mr.. Bryan expects
to find himself at the head OF a party with
a living issue.
The announcement will be made in a
series Of articles which Mr.. Bryan has
already prepared, and which will soon be
published, in which he makes an attack
on the saloon and whisky interest. BY
those. who have been permitted to read
these articles it is said that Mr.. Bryan
has used the strongest language at his
command in his Characterization OF the
liquor trade. While these articles are ap-
pearing in print Mr.. Bryan will be in South
America, and so will escape personal par
ticipation in the trouble which will follow.
AT the outset Mr.. Bryan's efforts for
D, ohibition are to be confined to Nebraska,
but afterward they are to be extended to
Other states until the national party viii
be involved. with the south, the stronghold
Of democracy, already largely on the side
Of prohibition, MIR. Bryan will wage his
chief battles in the north and west.
Mr.. Bryan lays his defeats in former
campaigns to the liquor interests, which,
he believes, have made use Of the demo
cratic party whenever II was needed and
at other times have knitted its candi-
dates. For the sake of party harmony he
has never taken a stand, but now he has
determined. even at the risk Of being &C
cused Of attempting to get even,' to come
out in the open. Mr.. Bryan says he is not
now a candidate for any office, but Ne
braska party leaders think he expects the
new movement to make him senator If not
p1 PRESIDENT.
I'm this state Mr.. Bryan's action Will
simply tear the democratic party to pieces
He has confided I'm many Of the leaders
and has been told by the wheel horses
that they cannot follow him. Just as soon
as Mr.. Bryan has left for South America
the fight on him will begin. Men who OPP
pose him say this trip was planned be-
cause Mr.. Bryan realized what strength
would be arrayed against him, and wanted
TO be beyond the reach of any influences
which might cause him to discontinue his
attacks.
ut is said that Mr.. Bryan will make the
light in Nebraska on the insertion OF a
county option plank in the democratic plat
form. On that he will lose the support of
Governor Shallenberger, who is standing on
the present daylight saloon act and eX-
poets reelection on a platform affirming
the efficacy of tina. law. Another man who
will be against him is Mayor James Dahl
man of Omaha, who has, for years, been
known as Bryan's 'closest personal and
political friend" He stands on a personal
liberty plank and will be a candidate for
the governorship on IT.
The Omaha world-Herald, which has
supported Bryan in his every campaign, in
a recent editorial. announced that the posi-
ton of the party on the liquor question
would be determined by the entire party
and not by any one man or set of men,
and gave as its judgment that the Ne
braska democracy could, under no cir
cumstances, be brought to adopt the county
option plank.
When the last article of the series which
Mr.. Bryan has prepared is printed, 1t win
be seen that he has burned all bridges be-
hind him; that he has staked his political
existence on the outcome. He will put this
issue above tariff, finances, trusts and
every other question"