The San Francisco call., 1910-07-25
DEMOCRATS SPLIT
ON COUNTY OPTION
Old Associates Will Fight Will
liam j. Bryan in Nebraska
Platform Convention
Commoner Must Overturn Tre=
mendous Majority to Carry
Anti=liqu0r Plank

Democrats of Nebraska will, hold their
platform convention in this city Tues
day and it promises to be of greater inl
terest than any gathering of the kind
held in this state for many years. That
there will be contest to secure a
county option plank in the platform is
admitted by everyAleader in the demo-
cratic state organization. And that
contest will be carried on by leaders
way on what democratic platforms
should contain. William j. Bryan, for
the first time since he took up the lead
ership of the democratic party, will be
opposed by former associates within
his own state.
FIGHT is OPEN
The fight for and against county op-
tion has become an open one Bryan
and his friends are actively engaged in
an attempt to secure a county option
plank, while Congressman Hitchcock of
Omaha and Mayor James C. Dahlman,
also of that city, supported by Governor
Shallenberger, are equally active in an
effort to secure declaration against
such a plank.
The situation is considered an un-
usual one, because the men who are
most actively opposing Bryan were for
merly his strongest supporters. This
condition, considered with the fact that
the campaign for the selection of
state ticket and the recommending of
candidate for United States senator
has taken so many different angles,
has given impetus to the political
struggle in Nebraska seldom if ever
before witnessed.
Congressman Hitchcock has been for
several months an avowed candidate
for United States senator and has been
organizing his forces throughout the
state with view to securing the sup
port of the rank and file of his party.
He has stated his position as being op
posed to county option until the people
of the state, under an initiative and
referendum law, shall declare specifi-
cally for it.
There is little doubt that the anti
county option men will present such
plank, and that it will be opposed
heartily by Bryan and his friends
Bryan always has been given a place
on the resolutions committee when he
attended state conventions, and his
policies always have prevailed in the
w
be accorded the same courtesy of ap-
pointment at Tuesdays convention is
generally admitted, although it is be-
lieved there will be an overwhelming
majority opposed to him on the ques-
tion of county option.
FLOOR BATTLE PROMISED
It is now apparent that he will carry
the fight to the floor of the convention
and there make plea for straight
county option plank. Six hundred of
the 500 delegates to the convention are
either instructed or are known to be
opposed to such a plank, and great
interest centers in what effect Bryan's
speech on the convention floor will
have on the majority.
Richard L. Metcalfe, associated with
Bryan in the publication of the Com
moner, announced his candidacy for
United States senator at the last mo-
ment, in opposition to Congressman
Hitchcock. He has received the un-
qualified Endorsement of Bryan, who
expresses the belief that Metcalfe can
poll more votes than any other demo-
crat, himself not excluded.
There still remains in Nebraska a
considerable number of democrats who
called themselves the gold wing" of
the party IA years ago, and who nave
always opposed Bryan's leadership.
GUBERNATORIAL CONTEST
Three candidates are making a fight
for the gubernatorial nomination. They
are Governor Shallenberger, Mayor
DahIman of Omaha and w. r. Patrick
of South Omaha, a member of the last
legislature. Patrick is the Bryan can
didate, Governor Shallenberger is max
ing his campaign on his two years
record in office and Mayor Dahlman,
who stands squarely for personal lib
erty.' is making particularly strong
fight against county option. The pri-
maries take place August 2, week
after the convention.
Another important state issue is the
question of capital removal There is
a somewhat general feeling that the
state capital should be located at a
point near the center of the state, and
Dahlman has declared himself openly
as favoring such action as will take
the executive offices away from Lin
coin.