Omaha daily bee., 1910-05-22

tercsts can terrorize the state of Nebraska
as they terrorze the people of Omaha ana
the county of Douglas. (Appause)
You are but part of this state, YOU are
less than one congressional district you
have to join with Sarpy and Washington
to make a congressional district, and that
is only one-sixth of this state when you
have a congressional district.
I know that these liquor interests have
terrorized this community. L know that
these men have issued their orders. l
know that they have threatened any man
who would speak out against them or act
without consulting them. They have in
suited the democracy of this state and our
legislature. They have sent down to the
city of Lincoln representative who stood
there to tell people how to vote in the
sci ate and in the house. If the democracy
Of this state has not the manhood to rise
up and spew these people out of its mouth
it does not deserve to be called a demo-
cratic party. (Applausc)
1t is hardly necessary at this time TO
submit an argument in favor of the initia-
tive and referendum
Note: Hero Mr.. Bryan went into an ex-
tended argument for the initiative and
referendum
Mr. Bryan: Is it not strange that |,
member OF this party, should come down
to the city of Omaha to make a speech
on the initiative and the referendum that
was endorsed in the last state platform
without a dissenting vote? Is it not strange
that / can come here to speak for what
my party stands for and not a member of
your democratic organization ask IL he
can do anything to help arrange this meet
ing for me? Do / need any other evidence
%. hot
liquor interests have descended upon
this town and terrorized into silence
democrats, who under other circumstances
will be quick to speak out on this subject?
That is the situation, my friends. When l
come here to speak for the initiative and
| referendum | come to speak for the doc
! trine that was endorsed less than year
ago by the democratic convention of this
state.
They call me a disturber of harmony.
Who is the disturber of harmony? The
man who raises himself against his party
| or the man who pleads that the will of his
! party shall be binding upon the members of
| the party.
| l say it is hardly necessary that a man
shall make an argument in favor of the
initiative and the referendum. for when you
I find a man who is opposed to it you will
find a man that either has no reason or is
] ashamed to give the reason that he has.
| (Applause.)
| There is no opposition that can be sug-
gested that is not autocratic, aristocratic
or plutocratic in its origin.
| why, this is the most popular proposition
that there is. When l am asking that this
be submitted and that our people be per-
mitted TO make record on it and take a
vote on it l am not Injuring the demo-
cratic party, my friend; am not jeopardiz-
ing its success. Why this proposition is so
popular that when it was submitted in
Missouri last year-and Missouri has two
cities bigger than Omaha-Qaughter), l find
they are not afraid to speak on this sub
ject. In the state of Missouri that prop
osition carried by 10000 majority, submit
| ted by democratic Legislature, although |
| as presidential candidate, was defeated
by some 800 in that state; that proposition
! submitted by democratic legislature, wa.
1000 votes stronger in the state of Mis-
| souri, than | was as a democratic pres
| dental candidate. Is this an unpopular
thing that 1 am urging-that l am asking
my party TO stand for? / is so popular
that even in republican sta ties they hav,
adopted it. 1t has no latitude: it has NJ
| longitude; it is popular everywhere. They
adopted it in Oregon, away out west, anc
they adopted it in Maine; away down east
they have adopted 1t in South Dakota
away up north, and they have adopted il
in Oklahoma? away down south daughter
and applause) You see it is not an un,
popular thing. my friends
Mr.. Bryan: l want to remind you thai
fourteen years ago, before anybody talked
about county option, that initiative and ref.
erendum VAS put into the democratic plat.
form, and l was chairman of the committee
that year, and il you will get the repub
lican State journal OF the next day after
the convention you wiz find something
which is very interesting. The Journal saiC
that when Mr.. Bryan read this p anll of tn,
. initiative and the referendum that tn,
delegates looked at each other in surprs,
and that one delegate said to another
What is that? (Laughter) Now. that il
what the paper said. And the paper saiC
this democrat answered, 1t is new kline
OF fancy dunk and the paper said it wen
through unanimously then. daughter
And then think of its beng unpopular il
omaha! Uaughter)
But In the iast fourteen years the peopl,
nave nau u CndnCG 10 STUDY TINS question
| and | think more of them understand il
but for fear some of you, may not hav
been studying II, although you ought I,
nave more time to study II now; since tn
5 o'clock closing hour uaughterl l hav
looked Tor quite an increase in political in
= formation ana study OF these public ques
tens in Omaha durins the last two years
l hope 1 will not be disappointed in m
expectation.
The initiative is merely a process b.
which the people can compel the submis
sion of d question.
At present il we want a question sub
1 mitted to the people OF this state II mus
' be submitted by majority of the legisla
ture; not only majority. but il must b
/ submitted by three-fifths OF the legislature
e We will have TO have not only a majorit
n Of the senate in favor of the initiative am
l referendum, but We have TO have three
a flfths OF both branches.
G Under the Initiative and the referendum
E "A certain number of people can petition
7 for the submission of a question, and whe
h the requisite number petition. then tn
I question must be submitted but Il canno
be adopted unless a majority OF the peopl
want TO adopt It. but when it is submitte