Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-21
At First a State Fight.

sting which will be contained in the an
swers made by his former friends.
At First State Fight.
At the outset MIR. Bryan's declaration
of independence to the whisky interests is
to be confined to the state of Nebraska,
but afterward it is to be extended to other
states until the democratic national party
has either declared for prohibition or has
refused to so declare.
With the south the stronghold of de-
mocracy, already practically on the Slde
of prohibition and believed ready to tan III
line and adopt the new issue. Mr. Bryan
will wage his fercest battles III the north
and west where he expects to develop
sufficient strength to enable him to write
a prohibition plank in the next national
platform.
Mr.. Bryan lays his defeat in former
Campaigns to the liquor interest, which. he
believes. has made use of the democratic
party whenever that party was needed by
the whisky interest. and at other times
has "knifed'' the democratic candidates on
all sides. For the sake of party harmony
Mr. Bryan has maintained a still tongue
and has never taken stand against the
whisky interest But now he has deter
mined. even at the risk of being accused
of attempting to get even, to come out
against whisky with all the might and
power of his tongue and pen.
incidentally, it may be stated, that
while Mr. Bryan says he is not now
candidate for any office. the opinion of
the Nebraska party leaders is that MT.
Rryan believes the success of his new
movement will make him at least eligible
to the senate or even the presidency.
Democrats Desert Bryan.
In this state Mr.. Bryan's new issue
will simply tear the democratic party
all to pieces He has confided his future
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, go 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 platforms. Failing in
this. even MIR. Bryans closest friends
cannot outline his future.
Just as soon as Mr.. Bryan has left the
country on his South American tour. the
fight will begin and will be conducted at
long range. There are those among the
leaders of the party who say that this
trip is planned in order that Mr.. Bryan
may be beyond the reach of any in
fiuences which may be brought to cause
him to discontinue his attacks.
The full force of Mr.. Bryans attack
will not be disclosed with the opening
gun, and not until the very last one of
his articles appears will his position be
absolutely and unequivocally announced.
But he will, early in the series. make
1t plain that he will make the fight in
Nebraska the insertion of a county
option plank in the democratic platform.
Right then Mr.. Bryan will lose the sup
port of Gov. Shallenberger. who is OPP
posed to county option and Is standing On
the present daylight saloon act, which
he, governor. approved. He expects
reelection on platform affirming the
efficacy of this law. Gov. 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 of democracy who
will desert Bryan is Mayor Jim Dahlman
of Omaha, who has for ten years been
known as Organs closest personal and
political FRIEND" and who managed the
Denver convention in 1908 for Mr.. Bryan.
Mayor Dahlman stands on q personal
liberty plank. and he will be candidate
for the governorshp now held by Shalen-
berger Dahlmans strongest plank in
the campaign being personal liberty
and drink all you can get If you
want it,"
Will Not Follow the Leader.
The Omaha World-Herald. which mas
supported Bryan in all his campaigns.
will not follow it's old-time leader into
county option, but will fight that plank
III every way.
In a recent editorial the World-Herald
announced that the position of the party
on the liquor question would be deter
mined by the entire party and not by any
man nor set OF men, and gave as It's
judgment that the Nebraska democracy
could under no circumstances be
brought To adopt the plank which MIR.
Bryan is about TO spring upon the public.
But Mr.. Bryan IS not Going to confne
his anti-whisky war to the borders of Ne
braska. He intends making n national
issue of the question. placing il above the
tariff, the finances, trusts and every other
pertinent question now before the public.
When the last article of the series
which Mr.. Bryan has prepared IS pript
ed Il will be seen that he has burned
all bridges behind him, that he has stalk
ed his political existence on the outcome
and that there can be no turning back in
the course which he has mapped out
for himself.
But whether not Mr. Bryan can
persuade the democratic party to follow
him into prohibition is another question