Omaha daily bee., 1914-12-12
Nebraska
BRYAN BEGINS TO HEDGE
Amends His Position on Suffrage
and Prohibition.
NOT OPPORTUNE TO PUSH NOW
would vote for Either ~ Had OPP
pOrtunIty, hut Does Not Re-
Iieve Right Time Now to
Push the Matter.
lrrrnnn n staff CnrresnondentN


LINCOLN, Dec. 11.-(Special) assert
ing that he would vote for a prohibition
amendment to the national constitution
&c he had a chance, William j. Bryan.
secretary of state, in an editorial In the
Commoner, says: Believing in both
woman suffrage and the abolition of the
liquor traffic, l would vote for either
amendment il submitted, but the time
does not seem opportune for the sub
mission of either of these amendments"
This is an indication in the ind of
leading democrat here that the stand
OF President Wilson on these two ques-
tons has had the effect Of making Mr..
Bryan change his attitude 1t was gen
i. orally understood that Mr.. Bryan would
stand for anything along the line of pro-
hibition. either statewide or nationwide,
but the idea of the president that it was
a state and not a national issue has
seemed to have its effect on Mr.. Bryan.
and the result is the following editorial
which win appear in the Commoner to-
day. ---r o.
Some of the democratic editors profess
70 misunderstood the import of the two
editorials in the last issue of The Com
moner, one entitled The Alcoholic Mill
stone." and the other an editorial in
These editors seem to consider the
above mentioned editorials as an en-
dorscment of national amendments favor
able to prohibition and woman's suffrage,
but a careful reading of them will re
veal the fact that while the former
plainly protests against the domination
OF the democratic party by the liquor
interests, and the latter as plainly sup
ports womans suffrage, they relate to
these issues as they present themselves
A two-thirds vote of the two houses
of congress is required for the submits
sion OF an amendment to the national
constitution. and then the amendment
must beyfatified by three-fourths of the
states. There is no reason to believe that
prohibition amendment or a suffrage
amendment would at this time, be rati-
fled by three-fourths of the states, even If
ii secured vote of two-thirds of the
two houses. Believing in both woman
suffrage and the abolition of the liquor
traffic 1 would vote for either amend
ment If submitted, but the time does not
seem opportGne for the submission of
either OF these amendments A national
contest for either amendment would sim
ply divert attention from other Issues
upon which the people are ready to act,
without advancing the cause of woman 5
suffrage or the prohibition movement.
These questions are, however. at issue
in the states, and as a democrat am in
tereted in eeing the party take the moral
side OF both questions-the side that APP
peals to young men who are coming out
VI Oui HtnOOtS anu tolltBeS anu VINO as
ume the obligations of citizenship with a
vision of better things. Eve ry new issue
causes a new alignment: I'm proportion as
IL is an important issue II brings about
changes in party affiliations. If the dem
ocratic party takes the side of the brewer
the distiller and the saloon keeper Il will
lose many of its best members and It will
draw to itself the worst element of the
republican party = and the democratic
party cannot afford to invite an element
that puts desire for drink before prin-
ciples of government and the nation 6
welfare, The more we have of that ele-
Ihent, the more difficult II will be to draw
to us those whose presence gives strength
to a party and whose voice and example
increase its number.
The democratic party cannot be killed
even by association with so contaminat.
ing an influence as the liquor interests
but why should the party allow itself to
be debauched and disgraced? It would
take a decade or more to remove the
odium that the representatives OF the
triple curse-the saloon. the gambling hal
and the brothel-will bring upon the party
N they are allowed to dictate its policy
The result of the liquor fight in the late
campaign is full of warning-if the demo-
cratic party fails to heed this warnina
TO II. 1t does so at its own peril.
WILLIAM J. BRYAN.