Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-25
BRYAN IN FIGHT
FOR HIS POLITICAL
LIFE IN NEBRASKA
Great Commoner to Battle with
Allied Opponents on Floor
of State Convention
WILL APPEAL TO DELEGATES
Struggle Hinges on County Op-
ton and Endorsement of
Candidates
WILL APPEAL TO DELEGATES
ASSOCIATED Pressl

GRAND ISLAND, Nebr.. July "a
Democrats of Nebraska will hold their
platform convention In this city Tues
day and it promises to be of greater
interest than any gathering of the
kind held in this state for many years
That there will be a contest to secure
county option plank in the platform
is admitted by every leader in the
Democratic state organization and
that contest will r be carried on by
leaders who heretofore have agreed
in every way on what Democratic plat
forms should contain. William ].
Bryan, for the first time since he
took up the leadership of the Democra-
tic party, will be opposed by former
associates within his own state.
The fight for and against county
option has become an open one. Mr..
Bryan and his friends are actively en-
gagged in an attempt to secure a
county option plank, while Congress-
man Hitchcock of omaha and Mayor
James G. Dahlman, also of that city,
supported by Governor Shallenberger,
are equally active in an effort to Sc
cure a declaration against such a
plank.
The situation is considered an un-
usual one. because the men who at
present are most actively opposing Mr..
Bryan were formerly his strongest
supporters. This condition, considered
with the fact that the campaign for
the selection of a state ticket and the
recommending of candidate for
United States Senator has taken on
many different angles, has given inn
petus to a political struggle in Me-
braska seldom IL ever before witnessed.
FIGHTS FOR COUNTY OPTION
Congressman Hitchcock has been for
several months an avowed candidate
for United States Senator. He has
stated his position as being opposed to
county option until the people of the
state, under an initiative and referen-
dunn law, shall declare specifically for
It,
There is little doubt that the anti
county option men will present such
plank and that it will be heartily OPP
posed by Mr.. Bryan and his friends.
Mr.. Bryan has always been given
place on the resolutions committee
when he attended state conventions
and his policies have always prevailed
in the writing of platforms. That he
will be accorded the same courtesy or
appointment at Tuesdays convention
is generally admitted although it is be-
lieved there will be an overwhelming
majority opposed TO MIN on tle queS-
tiOn of county option.
It is now apparent that he will carry
the fight to the floor of the convention,
and there will make a 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 extreme interest centers on what
effect Mr.. Br.-an's speech on the con-
ha va fha jnrifX
OPPOSES FORMER FRIENDS
Richard L. Metcalfe, associated with
Mr. Bryan in the publication of the
latter's paper announced his candi-
dacy for United States senator at the
last moment in opposition to Congress
man Hitchcock He has received the
UNQUALIFIED Endorsement of Mr., Bryan.
Both Bryan and Metcalfe were former
Iy employed by Hitchcock. All three
have been closely associated in the
political world until now. There still
remains in Nebraska a considerable
number of Democrats who called
themselves the ''gold wing" of the
party four years ago, and who have
never become reconciled to Mr.. Bryan
leadership. These men have become
strong partisans with the leaders who
are opposing Mr.. Bryan at this time
and have made the cause of Congress-
ciates their own They openly declare
that the tirne has come when Mr..
Bryan should step down and out as
leader of his party and are directing
their efforts to that end. Three candi-
dates are making fight for the guber-
material nomination They are Gov
ernor Shallenberger. Mayor Dahlman
of omaha and w. r. Patrick of South
omaha, member or r1le last legisla-
+,,re Patrick is the Bryan candidate;
Governor Shallenberger is making his
campaign. on his two years record in
office and Mayor Dahlman, who stands
squarely for personal liberty" is
making particularly strong fight
against county option. The primaries
occur August 2, a. week after the con-
vention.
Another important state issue is the
question of the removal of the state
capitol