Omaha daily bee., 1910-05-22

NCoHtihuSu AlOui dse riNS'i
better attend to your own business and not
be running your hands into other peoples
business "a Voice: Amen) Applause and
laughter) You are going to have enough
| to do to take care OF the liquor interests In
your county without insisting that you
make laws for the counties where the con-
dtlons are different from yours.
!
Mr.. Bryan: But / have no thought of en-
tering into an elaborate discussion of the
question Of county option. / only touch
upon the subject because l find that It is
fear Of county option that has led some to
opp, Sc the initiative and referendum. Whsn
| that question Is up l shall discuss II moro
at length, but would much prefer to
have the discussion of 1t postponed for
two years. so that we can discuss and settle
now the question of the initiative and the
referendum.
But l cannot allow this opportunity to
pass without calling the attention Of tho
democrats of the state to the strength of
the moral ISSUE and 1 know Of no better
place 20 emphasize this than Omaha
Qaughtor)
1t is now less than two years since the
legislature passed the o'clock closing law.
II was not in the platform Of either party,
ard believe a majority of the democrats
of both houses voted against It, but the
measure came before the governor for his
signature or veto. A special train went
from Omaha to Lincoln to carry a crowd
Of protesting democrats. They brought
every possible pressure 10 bear on the
governor I woi der IL there are any bore
who went in that crowds Uaughter) II
there Ure any of you here who went down
with that crowd you need not be ashamed
OF 1t II you did what you thought was
right. (Voces; Yes, yes, yes) Quite a
nlmber. "a voice: Sure.)
They brought every possible pressure to
bear upon the governor. They told him
that he would ruin his own chances for re.
nomination and reelection IL he signed the
Dill; they told him he would ruin the
chances of the party in the state, that he
would greatly disturb the business of
Omaha and greatly injure the state. But
in spite of pressure. he signed it, and then
the wrath OF the city was turned against
him.
! When the president of the United States
visited Omaha the governor was not in
vted to attend the banquet. There was
room at the table for some of the pros
porous brewers but not room enough for
the governor OF the state. Shame on YOU
Shame on you that you should insult the
chief executive of the state prolonged
spplause,) Shame on the brewer who could
sit at that table In a governors place and
not be red in the face with the recognition
Of his impropriety of his taking the place
of the chief executive. (Applause)
1t looked for a while as II the governor
would have to make a circuit around
Omaha when going east. Oaughter) But
within two years the governors act has
been vindicated The opposition to the S
O'Clock closing law has disappeared, and
even the saloon keepers are compelled to
admit that hard drinker can, If he works
industrlously, become drunk enough by s
o'clock to last him all night. daughter
and applause) The governor is stronger
because he signed IT. the democratic party
is stronger because it was democratic
governor who refused to be frightened by
the opponents OF the law,
Let the vindication OF the moral principle
involved in the o'clock closing law be q
warning to those democrats who think It
is safe to make the democratic party trail
along at the tail end of the liquor process
sion,
There is moral issue that we cannot
afford 70 offend; there is a public con-
science that we cannot afford TO defy II
the modern Pharaoh, the LIQUOR interest,
will not let the people go IL the people
are to be denied the right to vote on
public questions merely because they
want to vote on the liquor question, let
the fate OF the ancient Pharoah be re.
membcred!
The democratic party has many members
in it who use liquor 10 a greater or less
extent, and many of these democrats may
be opposed to driving the saloon from
their town, or their county, or their state,
but these democrats are interc sted In other
things besides drinking. They are believ-
ers in free government. they are interested
in national politics, and they believe in the
right of the people 10 rule They are not
in favor OF the dark-lautern methods that
? are being employed in this state, aud they
are not willing to surrender their views on
all questions in order to crafty the men
who make money by cultivating the appe-
? title for drink.
) l sim hope that we may have a special
session OF the legislature and secure the
submission OF the initiative and the refer
endum, but IL that is made impossible by
: the sordid interests that have thrown them,
2 selves across the path of this popular meas
r ure. then our first business is 10 remov,
( this obstruction and with the next demo
{ invite the champions of the brewers and
; the distillers and the liquor dealers. tC
5 show cause why they shall not be driver
I from politics in the state OF Nebraska
| tremendous applause)
4 have said. my friends, what / CAM
her to say, ] have no apology to offer t
anybody for saying II. shall not ALLOW
2 anybody TO impeach my right to speak a
n a democrat. l shall not allow any repre-
c sentative Of the liquor interest TO say tina
G because he makes money out of his bust
= meas and makes money out OF the thwArtinI
I OF the viii OF the people OF this state, tina
g he Is necessarily more interested in tn
n welfare OF the democratic party than am
, IL is now some fifteen years. yea. Il 4
! about sixteen years since that convention a
: which we succeeded I'm securing CONT oil .
I the state organization, For sixteen year
{ We have had harmony in the Democrat
{ partyl for sixteen years we have hat
scarcely a disturbance over a plank in oul
. platform About $4,000 men have niarche.
10 side by side and shoulder 10 shoulder. anC
. we have agreed on policies and on eAndl