The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-07-25
State Convention Will Be
Held At Grand Island
Tomorrow
COUNTY OPTION FIGHT
To Be FOREMOST ISSUE
The Proposed Plank VIII Meet with
Hearty Opposition of MIR. Bryan
and His Friends-Removal
of State Capital

| Grand Island. Neb, July 24.-Demo-
Gratis of Nebraska will hold their platform
convention in this city Tuesday, 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
contest to secure a county option plank
in the platform is admitted by every
| leader in the democratic state organiza-
ton. And that contest will be carried on
| between leaders who heretofore have
| agreed in every way on what democratic
platforms should contain. William ].
Bryan, for the first time since he took
up the leadership of the democratic
party, will be opposed by former asso-
ciates within his own state.
| The fight for and against county option
has become an open one. Mr.. Bryan and
| his friends are actively engaged in an at
tempt to secure county option plank
while Congressman Hitchcock of Omaha
and Mayor James C. Dahlman, also of
that city, supported by Governor Shalen-
berger, are equally active in an effort to
secure declaration against such a
plank.
An Unusual Situation
| The situation is considered an unusual
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 candi-
date for United States senator has taken
on many different angles, has given inn
petus to the political struggle in Nebraska
seldom If ever before witnessed.
Congressman Hitchcock has been for
several months an avowed candidate for
United States senator and has been or
ganizing his forces throughout the state
with view to securing the support of the
rank and file of his party. He has stated
his position as being opposed to county
option until the people of the state, un-e
der an initiative ,saEds raferendum law,
shall declare specifically for it.
| There is little doubt that the anti
county option men will present such a
plank and that it will be heartily op-
posed by Mr.. Bryan and his friends Mr.
| Bryan has always been given a place
1 on the resolutions committee when he at
| tended state conventions, and his policies
have always prevailed in the writing of
platforms That he will be accorded the
same courtesy of appointment at Tues
although 1t is believed there will be an
overwhelming majority opposed to him
on the question of county option 1t is
now apparent that he will carry the fight
to the floor of the convention, and there
make a plea for a straight county option
plank? Six hundred of the 800 delegates
to the convention are efthM instructed or
are known to be opposed to such plank,
and extreme interest centers on what eff
feet Mr.. Bryan's speech on the conven-
ton floor will have on the majority.
Bryan Indorses MetcaIf
Richard l.. Metcalfe. associated with
Mr.. Bryan in the publication of the lat
| ter's paper, announced his candidacy for
United States senator at the last mo-
| ment, In opposition to Congressman
| Hitchcock. All three have been closely
fled Endorsement of MIR. Bryan, who ex-
| presses the belief that Metcalfe can poll
| more votes than any other democrat,
himself not excluded. Both Bryan and
Metcalfe were formerly employed by Mr.
Metcalfe. All three have been closely
associated in the political world until
now, and by many democratic leaders
1t is believed the coming state conven-
ton will mark "the parting of the
ways"
There still remains in Nebraska a con-
siderable number of democrats who al
lied themselves with the gold wing"
of the party IA years ago. and who have
never become reconciled to Mr.. Bryans
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-
man Hitchcock and his political asso-
ciates their own. They openly declare
that the time has come when Mr.. Bryan
should step down and out as leader of
his party, and ars directing their efforts
to that end.
Three candidates are making a fight
for the gubernatorial nomination. They
are Governor Shallenberger Mayor Dahl
nah of Omaha and w. r. Patrick of
South Omaha, member of the last legis-
lature. 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 max
ing a particularly strong fight against
county option. The primaries occur Au-
gust 2, a week after the convention.
Capital Removal Question
Another important state issue is the
question of capital removal. There is
somewhat general feeling that the state
'gpital should be located at point near
the center of the state, and Mr. Dahl
man has declared himself openly as fa-
voring such action as will take the
executive offices away from Lincoln.
This proposition, of course, is strongly
opposed by the people of Lincoln and by
many county option advocates, who as
sert that 1t is an atetmpt to punish Lin
coin and Lancaster county because Lin
coin has been dry for three years. A
bill was introduced in the last legisla-
ure providing for capital removal but
it was pgeon-holed.
The city of Grand island is an active
candidate for the location of the capitol.
Kearney and Hastings have also been
named as possibilities for capital cities.
An entire new state committee will be
named which will have charge of the
active campaign to be waged for four
months following the primary election.