New-York tribune., 1910-07-27
FORMER bRYAMTES
CHEER HIS DOWNFALL
Loses Leadership of Nebraska
Democrats After Domination
of Twenty Years.
COUNTY OPTION HIS NEMESIS
Measure Repudiated by His Own
Party Adopted as a Plat
form Plank by State
Republicans.

Democrats WreSteG the leadership OF
| their state organization from William
J. Bryan tonight on the issue of county
option. BY decisive votes they regis
tered their unbelief in his present poll
cies, after listening to an impassioned
appeal from Mr.. Bryan, who declared
the liquor interests were in an organ
lied attempt to secure political control
| of the state
| The minority plank submitted by Mr..
Bryan was brief, and, his opponents de-
clared. was an effort to recede from his
former radical attitude. But the work
ers against the county option plank were
unappeased, and stood firmly against it.
The attitude of many of Mr.. Bryan's
| former Heutenants toward him was
! evinced in the speeches of several who
addressed the convention after him. His
reference to "assassins'' in the party
was frequently referred to, and as each
speaker denounced his present position
the cheers of the delegates showed that
the appeal of Mr.. Bryan had been inef-
! fectual.
| The vote by which his county option
plank was rejected was not taken until
| late at night. 1t was decisiveIy against
the acceptance of the measure.
Bryan Downed on First Test
Amid a tumult of cheers from the for
rner followers Of Bryan. Permanent
Chairman Smith Of the Democratic plat
form convention to-day read the result
! of a test vote Of the gathering, practI-
cally taking from Mr.. Bryan the Demo-
| cratic leadership Of Nebraska, which he
has maintained for twenty years. And
| by the irony Of fate the measure which
caused his downfall-county option-was
adopted as a platform plank by the
state Republicans in convention at Lin
coin to-day.
| The vote came on a motion made by
Congressman G. N. Hitchcock, a candi-
date for the Senatorial nomination, and
in effect was to eliminate the introduc-
ton of platform planks, with accom-
panying speeches, unless submitted as a
section of the majority or minority re-
mort of the committee on resolutions
Mr.. Bryan. sea ted as a member Of the
Lancaster County delegation, was upon
his feet at once with a protest, and prof
fered an amendment that would modify
the intent of the original motion. A
dozen delegates made as many motions
and heated speeches on the subject. the
Bryan adherents denouncing the Hitch
cock motion as gag rule and their op-
ponents asserting that individual rule
must not prevail in the convention.
Chairman Snyth ordered a rollcall on
the amendment, and the gathering was
silent as the vote Of the counties was
called that would determine the strength
of Mr.. Bryan.
Wave of Cheering.
When two-thirds had been called foes
of Mr.. BRYAN realized that he was de-
feated. and a wave of cheers that
drowned the roIlcan began. AS Chair
man Smyth finally read the result, 4b5
against the amendment to 394 IN favor
of 1t, the delegates sounded a fresh vol
ume of cheers that seemed to indicate
| their relief from the uncertainty that
had existed as to the strength which MT
BRYAN might develop in the convention
The original motion OF Mr.. Hitchcock
then was adopted
| The. motion made by Mr.. Hitchcock
upon which the test vote was made and
which showed Mr. Bryan was In the
minority, was as follows
Resolved. That all proposed platform
| planks or declarations of this convention
! shall be presented or referred TO the reso-
iutions committee without discussion, anc
shaI not be brought before the convention
except when embraced in majority o.
minority report of that committee.
Dissension among the members of the
resolution committee delayed the pre-
sentation of the divergent reports unit
long after the hour at which they were
to report at the evening session. The
committee on resolutions finally report
ed and the majority report was read
II was declared there was unanimity OF
opinion on every phase save one The
nIank in dispute was read by the chair
man It was:
we heartily approve of the daylight
saloon law, and we commend the coura-
,eora action of Governor Shallenbergel
in approving it
vote upon the plank was taken, anc
n was adopted by a vote of 10 to 16S.
Two minority reports were submitted
one bv w. ]. Bryan and the other by II
B. Fleharty.
That of Mr. Bryan read: We favor
county option as the best method OF
dealing with the liquor question
That of Mr.. F1eharty was equally
brief II was: We favor local option as
now provided for by law but are OPP
posed to county option"
The majority plank on the liquor ques-
ton favored by five Of the seven mem
hers was read as follows:
We are opposed making county option
| or anv other plan for the regulation or the
/ Iio,,or traffic q question or party Greco
We stand for and insist upon strict en-
forcan7ent of our present laws. and believe
that any further changes IN our I4uol 4
| iepislation should be decided by direct
I,e}a Of tbe people and that the cause OF
| | good government and pubic ncralS VII
| he ba1Ter served in that way than by dl-
vidinE the people into hostile factions on
purely moral issues
Speeches we're made by the sponsors
of the blanks, and the convention then
settled down TO the final battle
Bryan Begins Speech
Mr. Brvan, speaking from the plat
form, in behalf OF the minority plank
presented by him, was greeted by shouts
| of aupIause He said in part:
II have advocated that which is not
| good far tba state let me feel your wrath