Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-07-18
Treschery, Ingratitude and Other
Things.


Bryan by the Dahlmanites in county
convention assembled and the return
shots fired by the former give vent to
fires that have been smoldering for a
year, ready to burst into a blaze at
any moment. The resolutions as
promulgated brand Mr.. Bryan
traitor to his party and endorse for
the succession to MIR. Bryan as party
standard-bearer in 1912 Governor
Harmon, the only democrat promi-
nently mentioned whom Mr.. Bryan
has indicated he would refuse TO sup
port. or course, the Harmon and
harmony part OF It is simply a tail
ender designed to irritate the distin-
guished Nebraskan, for the endorse
ment is given to Harmon merely be-
cause he is blacklisted by Bryan.
Mr.. Bryans counter proclamation
is indeed cleverly constructed. He
harps upon the bouquet to Harmon,
whose venial sin is that he did not
support Bryan in 1896, as commenda-
ton of the same act of treachery
charged upon himself, and seizes upon
this to support his assertion that the
offense complained of against himself
is not betrayal OF the democratic
party, but defiance of the liquor in
terests that are in the saddle in that
party in this state
This warfare of words is indeed in
teresting to outsiders, as well as to
insiders, but there is danger of con-
fusion and misjoinder Of issues by
dust-raising on both sides. The
Dahlmanites are unfortunate in not
stating their case clearly, for what
they have to complain of Is personal
ingratitude even more than party dis
loyalty. On this score the Bryan OPP
position to Mayor Jim" last year
was inexcusable. Mr. Bryan never
had a more devoted follower than
Jim" who for nearly twenty years
had been newer of wood and drawer
of water for him regardless of cost or
consequences. Jim was good
enough as state chairman to manage
Bryan's campaigns, he was good
enough to be Mr.. Bryan's personal
representative on the democratic ma
| tional committee, he was good enough
to have Mr.. Bryan's endorsement two
times as a candidate for mayor Of
Omaha, but when he was nominated
for governor by direct popular vote
he suddenly forfeited MIR. Bryan's
confidence and support
Another place where Mr.. Bryan
gets his wires crossed is in his retort
that he should not be charged with
party treachery because he did sup
port "all of the ticket except Mr..
Dahlman." That is where Mr.. Bryan
is entitled to no credit, for there were
candidates on the same ticket with
Dahlman far less deserving of his
support-men who had sold out the
democratic party for money, men
whom Mr.. Bryan, himself, had only a
few months before denounced by
name as tools of the brewers, men
who had no claim whatever for per-
sonal or party service-and yet the
good Mr.. Bryan shut his eyes and held
his nose and swallowed the whole
ticket except Mr., Dahlman," pre-
sumably for no other purpose than to
Justify later on his party regularity.
Where Mr.. Bryan's position, how
ever, is strong is in his boast that his
bolt of Dahlman set patriotism above
partisanship and was a refusal to join
in debauching the party by putting a
private interest above everything else.
Although MIR. Bryan has talked loud
and long about holding the man above
the dollar, and country above party,
this is the only time, of which we are
aware, that he put his preaching into
practice. Mr.. Bryan swallowed Parker
and made speeches for him after de-
nouncing him as dishonest tool of
Wall street. He supported Hitchcock
for senator in spite of the confession
of completely in the BARLEY embezzle-
ment. He permitted the democratic
rag-tag and bob-tail to climb into
Office on his coat tails without word
of protest In the case of Dahlman,
however, he rose to the occasion,
stifed every sense of gratitude, repu-
dated every debt owed for years of
personal service, declined to recognize
the stamp OF democratic nomination
and momentarily shook on the party
shackles. What matters it what was
his motive or purpose, whether re-
venge on the brewers. whose I'M
divided support he was so bitterly dis
appointed in not getting In 1908, or
merely to set up an object lesson OF
his power as a warning for 1912?