Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-07-12
METCALFE IS WITH BRYAN
Associate Strings Along with Editor
in Commoner's Cause.
EASY TO BE A PR0HIBITIONIsT
Writes to MIR. Hitchcock that He is
Not Making Any Sacrifice in His
uppOrt OF the Peerless
Leaders Plan.
EASY TO BE A PRoHIBITIoNIsT
CFrom a staff Correspondent) !


LINCOLN, July 1.-(Speclal )-Now war
has broken out between Congressman n
Hitchcock and Richard l. Metcalfe. The
associate editor of The Commoner In a
letter to the editor of the World-He erald
today makes II plain that the expected
split has come at last. He joins his chief
In charging the World Herald with having
misrepresented not only the issues but Net
calfe as we'll His letter is as follows:
LINCOLN, Neb., July Ito the Editor
of the World Herald: In your leading edi-
torial today you say that Lancaster coun-
ty's declaration for county option was a
personal concession to Mr.. Bryan. more
than an expression of opinion of convic-
tion.' Then you add the same motive led
Mr. Metcalte to sacrifice his well-known
convictions to Mr.. Bryan's wishes
II would rather do something to ouell
controversy within the ranks of our party
than contribute to IT.; but cannot, In
justice to myself, permit this statement to
go unchalenged.
Il know you did not mean to do me an
injustice, but you must not let zeal for
your cause prompt you to mlsrepresent the
conduct of others in order to bolster your
own position.
If democrats are at all interested in
are entitled to the exact facts.
Years ago grew weary of the domlnat ton
of the democratic party by the liquor in
terests, heard my party habitually re-
ferred to as the whisky party and / saw
the republican party habitually getting the
whisky votes.
Long for County Option.
For several years 1 have advocated
on this question In our own party, be-
lieved that the best method in dealing with
It was to relegate the contest to the legis-
lative districts, pledging in our state plat
form that in event the people, speaking
through the legislature. passed a county
option bill the governor would sign the
measure. Last February 1 wrote to Mr..
Bryan, then in South America advising
this plan. At Columbus on the evening of
July 9th, speaking upon by own initia-
tive and speaking only for myself, 1 reIt-
Grated these views In the hope that they
would provide a common ground upon
which leaders with different opinions
might stand so far as our state platform
was concerned.
while It is true my suggestions seemed
popular with the rank and rile Of the demo-
Gratis who attended the Columbus dinner.
1t is also true that 1 could not persuade
any OF the leaders to endorse my position
or to agree upon that method.
Harmony being desirable. with what
reason is Mr.. Bryan criticized by those
who on their part declined to yield any
thing for the sake Of harmony?
Mr.. Hitchcock was one Of the first to
whom made known the purport OF my
proposed speech at Columbus and he was
among those to whom looked in vain for
any encouragement support for this plan
to bring about harmonius action in the
state convention.
Referring to my Columbus address the
World-Heraid treated me handsomely-as II
usually does-but it said not a word IN
CONTINUED on second Pags1