The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-05-09
BRYAN LOSES HOLD
IN HIS Home STATE
Nebraska Democrats Spurn Lat
est Proposal for Initiative
and Referendum.
HE DoDGEs SALOON, ISSUE
Finds That Prohibition Stand Is
Not Popular and Is Non
Comnittal.

Lincoln. Neb,, May S.--William j.
Bryan has seen great light since
his return from South America, and
he is now making a desperate effort
TO rehahilitate his prestige, which Is
waning rapidly and is in grave danger
OF vanishing.
Just what condition Mr.. Bryan ex-
pected- TO find politically on his re-
turn is known only to himself What
he did frd was the fact that the entire
Democratic party OF the State was up
in arms against him and that the
movement organized by ". F. Porter,
ex-Secretary of State. having for its
object the election OF Mr.. Bryan to the
United States Senate was flat and
miserable failure. Indeed. less than
ten Democrats answered Mr.. Porters
appeal for fifty Democrats to come
forward and each contribute 81 to pay
the filing fee necessary TO place Mr..
BRYAN in nomination for the Senate.
Mr.. Bryans friends had expected the
plea to be answered by q flood OF
dollars and names, They planned TO
have Mr.. Bryan announced as can
didate for the Senate before he ar
rived in Lincoln, and thought to scare
off other candidates by the action.
The complete failure came as
shock to the Bryan family and friends.
In the midst of their trouble, Mr. Bryan
reached Lincoln. Apparently believing
that his loss of prestige in Nebraska
was due to his stand on the liquor
question. Mr.. Bryan promptly mooitled
his stand For nearly six months the
country had understood that he favor
ed county option. Within few days
of his arrival in Lincoln his newspaper
editorially announced that II was only
the principle of the thing for which
he stood. He believed, said the ar
ticle, that any county In the state
snould have an opportunity Of voting Oh
the subject. although 1t did not fol-
low that he himself would vote for the
county option plan of prohibition even
If he had a chance. Not an linking
of the way in which Mr.. Bryan would
vote on the liquor question was con-
tanned in the editorial.
Another Issue.
Scarcely had the State had time to
gasp over Mr.. Bryan's sudden change
than he brought forward another is
sue and took the centre of the STAGE
with all spotlights in the House turn
ed on him. He demanded that Gov
ernor Shallenberger call d special SEES
sion of the Legislature to pass an ini-
tiative and referendum act. Personal
Democratic member of the Legislature,
asking if the member would sign
call for a special session, and also
ST the member would vote for the bill
If introduced. He also asked the Direct
Legislation League to make the same
request and poll of Republican mem
bers of the legislature.
Trouble began among the Democrats
as soon as Mr.. Bryan's letter was
made public. The first answers re-
.ceived were from the Omaha delega-
Iion of state Senat tors, all of whom
are Democrats. Without exception,
these members told Mr.. Bryan they
refused to sign a. call for special
session, and that they would vote
against his initiative and referendum
bill should the session be called and the
bill introduced. This delegation based
its position on Mr.. Rryan's speech OF
acceptance In the last national cam
paign. in which he announced that
the party platform was binding int
what It did not contain as much as In
what 1t did contain. AS the platform
did not favor the initiative and refer
endum, argued the Omaha Senator'S
the party should not now enact
law of that kind.
speaker Pool! .of the Legislature,
said he would favor direct legislation
II IL was ol lhe - iSH' n''to'
failed to say what he considered TO be
1.-THE right kind Representative
Gerdes opposed special session un-
less bank guarantee bill could be
Senator Besse opposed the
Initiative and referendum. but wanted
a special session TO relocate the state
capital. Representative Shoemaker an
nounced that he would not stand Tor
anything in thesway of special SEES
sion or any Bryan legislation.
ed Mr. Rr,,an that 1t refused to assist
iim in the matter but was willing TO
undertake campaign having for It's
object the passage of the same law.
Others answered In the same strain