Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-07-29
BRYAN DITCHED NET'SPLANR
How the Famous Compromise Was
Lost in the Shuttle.
sMYTH AND HARRINGTON TELL
Men who Handled Document After it
Was Turned over to the Governor
by Its Originator Explain
It's Fate,

William Jennings Bryan himself smoth-
cred the Metcalfe plank in the resolutions
committee at Grand Island.
This is the answer made by NJ F. Har-
rington of O'Neill to the charge by Met
cafe that Shallenberger pocketed his
precious document. 1t was entrusted to the
governor by Metcalfe; the governor turned
II over TO Constantine j. Smyth, chairman
OF the convention, and he In turn gave II
to M. F. Harrington. In the first place
1t was Metcalfe's desire that It be handed
to DR.. Babcock of Adams county, who
would see that It got before the resolutions
committee and was brought back to the
convention as a minority report. Shallen-
berger gave it to Smyth with that injunc-
ton, and so .Smyth passed 1t on to Har-
rington. Harrington says Bryan gave 1t
very special consideration, and decided he
did not want to report it to the conven-
tion.
Diagram of the Plot.
Here is the story as told by the partici-
pants.
| Omaha July 2S 191O.--To the Editor of
The Bee; You publish in this morning S
issue Of your paper a dispatch from Lin
| coin In which Governor Shallenberger is
| charged with suppresslng a copy of what is
| known the Metcalfe plank. Let me
| say to you that the governor is In no way
responsible for what happened to the Met
calfe plank. Here are the facts with re-
spect to his connection with IT.
''As was going out OF the Koehler hoteI
on my way to the convention in the after
noon / met the governor coming to the
hotel. He stopped me and handed to me a
piece of paper which he said was the Met.
calfe plank; that Mr.. Metcalfe desired him
to hand it to DR.. Babcock, a delegate from
Adams county. that he could not find tine
doctor and had another engagement which
demanded his immediate attention H,
therefore requested me TO take charge c,
the paper and deliver 1t to Dr. Babcock
took it, carried 1t in my hand, so tina
would not forget it, and upon arrivinI
at the convention ] looked for DIR. Bah
cock and could not find him, but meetinr
Mr., M. F. Harrington, a member of tn,
committee on resolutions handed to hin
the paper and delivered to him the mes
sage which the governor had given to me
tried to impress upon Mr.. Harrington
the importance Of getting the resolution L
DR.. Babcock, so that II might be considered
by the committee and Mr.. Metcalfe givei
, hearing thereon " the committee though
proper. Mr. Harrington took charge o
the resolution and said he would do as re
quested. That was the last that hear
dpOut lne resolutlon until the matter cam
up In the convention At the time the sub
ject was broached on the convention floo
was talking to the secretary and di
not hear what was said nor did I cate
the point of the controversy until the mat
ter was all over Yours respectfully,
&c. j. SMYTH.
l Mike HRFrinEtOn's story.
. Mr.. Harrington was in Omaha yesterda
g and when the gist Of c. j. Smyths stat,
I ment was given to him, he said:
g Il do recall that Chairman Smyth CAV
g me paper Of some sort. and it may ha,
= been the Metcalfe plank, so called. toe
e everything Of that character to the con
: mittee room, some forty or fifty differer
l. planks probably and they were all place
on the table for examination by the cor
|. mittee
81 That the Metcalfe plank was not hidd,
o and not overlooked. is proved by the IA
n that Mr. Bryan himself had an opportu
J. ity to present IT had he cared
Continued on Second Page)