Omaha daily bee., 1910-07-17
Nebraska
PLANTODOUBLE ON BURKETT
self-styled Republicans Set a Well
Laid Trap.
CATCH HIM GOING AND BACK
Invitation to a County option Mass
Meeting is Plan to Make the
Liquor Question the
Taaue.
tFrom a staff cOrrespOndent.l

LINCOLN, July 1e-(special Teie-
gram. lit is the plan of the Bryan demo-
Gratis, aided by a bunch of bryanites,
who have styled themselves republicans.
TO fight the senatorial battle on the
county option issue.
At this time they are laying their
laws to compel Senator Burkett to get
into the county option band wagon and
let up on national issues. They are ar
ranging mass meetings for Lincoln and
Grand Island to endorse county option
and they have invited Senator Burkett
to address the meeting here.
Richard L. Metoalfe. the democratic
candidate for senator behind whom the
near republicans are lining up, is publicly
committed to county option, and II Is
the hope Of these Bryanites to have
Senator Burkett get on the same plat
form or on the anti-option platform, so
that county option viii be the sole issue
of the campaign and thus the splendid
record Of the republican national ad-
ministration will be overshadowed. These
near republicans figure the only way
they can hope to bring about the de-
feat Of the republican ticket this fall is
by clouding the issues so their political
records and the democratic record will
not be brought to the fore.
The meetings are to be under the
auspices OF what is known as the state
county option, which was organized here
last winter. This organization proposes
Il is reported to hold one meeting at
Grand island and one meeting at Lincoln
the night before the state convention. AT
the Grand Island meetings the speakers
united are Lysle j. Abbott of Omaha,
w. r. Patrick of sarpy county. Richard
L. Metcalfe, Hoke Smith Of Georgia and
w. j. Bryan. Chaplain Harmon will be
asked to preside. 1t has not been de-
termined who will speak at the Lincoln
, meeting, but invitations have been sent
to E. p. Brown of Lincoln, c. f. Reavis
of Fall City. r. B. windham of Cass
county, c. o. Whedon OF Lincoln. C. M.
Brown of Cambridge and Senator Burkett.
II is proposed that p. p. Brown Will
preside at this meeting.
The politicians who are behind these
meetings are not giving 1t out that their
whole object is TO make county option the
one question OF the campaign so that the
democrats may have chance to elect
q senator and state officers. though
from the most reliable source II is
learned that this is the object of the
meetings.
Metcalfe Either Way.
Should Senator Burkett attend the
mss meeting and declare himself in op-
position to county option, they intend to
at once denounce him as an agent of the
brewers, and If he endorsts county OPP
ton, they will continue to boost Met
calfe just the same.
Another Bryan Plan.
1t developed today that c. w. Bryan had
moro to do with that so-called republican
convention last Thursday than was inti-
mated this morning in The Bee. Mr.. Bryan
had arranged It SO that at least half a
dozen near republicans were to jump on
Senator Burkett had he persisted in his de-
mands TO be chairman of the convention,
and each was to do a separate and distinct
stunt TO confuse him. 1t is even reported
on good authority that these Bryan helpers
had their little pieces written out. but
whether the carbons had been furnished by
Charley Bryan or Paul Clark cannot be
learned for a certainty.
Richard l.. Metcalfe has hardened TO the
calls to arms and is now a full fiedged
candidate for United States senator against
Mr.. Hitchcock and willis Reed. He ac-
cepted the filing OF the petitions today and
ISSUED formal statement.