The Washington herald., 1915-04-11
Political Situation.

COiHiHlttcQ 10 the prOnlO1tlOH movement Has
ready been commented upon in these columns. 1t
has aroused much discussion throughout the coun-
try. The announcement that Mr.. Bryan desires
to step from the State Department into the seat
in the United States Senate occupied by SEN
ator Hitchcock is equally interesting although it
has not attracted as much attention.
A six-year term in the Senate would unques-
tionably be a pleasing climax to Mr. Bryan's pub
lie career Senator Root went to the Senate after
serving Secretary OF State and added to hisirep
utation. Mr.. Bryan undoubtedly thinks that he
can do the same-in fact, that he might be better
fitted for place in the great American forum
where public questions constantly being dis
cussed than in office dealing with international
affairs 1t is possible, too, that Mr.. Bryan thinks
that the honor will come to him for the mere ask
ing: He is Nebraska's most prominent citizen
and if he in the Senate the light of the State
would not be hid under bushel 1t becomes in
teresting therefore, to consider what are his
chances of victory if he should enter the He
must be elected by popular vote Can he secure
the necessary majority?
1t is, by no means certain that Mr. Bryan can
be elected Senator from Nebraska. The time when
he held the State in the hollow of his hand has
passed.
The other day the Nebraska Senate, with its
Democratic majority, passed a resolution endors
ing President Wilson, but deliberately eliminated
Bryan's name from the commendatory words.
This is a straw showing the direction OF the wind.
Bryan's candidacy for the Senate directs at
tention to some interesting facts First that there
is no Republican in the State who, like himself,
enjoys nationwide prominence. Second, that the
chief issue of his campaign will be prohibition.
Third, that he has endearored to control the po-
litical patronage of the State in order to advance
his interests, and, last but not least, the who
will contest with him every inch of the ground
is who formerly OF his closest
friends and to whom he was under deep obligation
in the early days of his political career.
Mr.. Bryan was nominated for Congress in
1900. The nomination easily obtained. Ne
braska was so solidly Republican that a Demo-
crat entered the campaign with forlorn hope.
1t became evident, however, that Mr.. Bryan
was not of the commonplace type. He challenged
his Republican opponent to joint debate and his
attractive presence, pleasing voice, fuency of
language and fertility of ideas attracted enormous
crowds wherever he announced to speak.
The Omaha World Herald, then under the
control of Gilbert NJ. Hitchcock. the present
United States Senator, detailed a young reporter
to exploit Mr.. Bryan The young reporter was
Richard Lee Metcalfe, who afterwards became
associate editor of Bryan's paper the Commoner-I
but that, Kipling says, is another story. The
Word-Herald made Bryans campaign an event
not only of State but of national importance. The
result Bryan's election, much to everybody's
surprise, and he chosen for a second term
During these four years Mr.. Hitchcock blew the
Bryan trumpet with great energy and then, when
Bryan was defeated, invited him to become the
editor of his newspaper. For two years this init
mate association continued, the rld-Herald
itseIf editorshiD 70 thel
advocacy of the free coinage of silver. Then
came Bryans nomination for the Presidency. The
World Herald supported him and all his ideas, !
whereupon the banks which had been financing !
the paper called in their loans and advertisers
withdrew their patronage. Those were dark days |
for Hitchcock. but he sailed through the storm
with Bryans banner nailed to the mast.
As time went by opportunity for political pre-
ferment came to Hitchcock. Death had created |
a vacancy in the Senate and the governor had
determined to appoint Mr.. Hitchcock. Mr. Bryan, |
off a shooting trip in Texas, ordered otherwise
and Mr.. Allen named. Mr. Bryan's explana-
ton naturally unsatisfactory to Mr.. Hitchcock /
and this the beginning of the parting of the
ways The first test of strength between the two
men at the Democratic State convention of |
1910, when Br. Bryan favored county option and |
Mr. Hitchcock opposed it. 1t is said that Mr. |
bryan DcNcVcS tndt Qe1cat IN 1905 was due TO
the liquor interests, but whether this be true or
not, his antipathy to the liquor traffic has been
growing and more pronounced. In the State
he beaten two to one. This was
not the first time the last time that he ex-
perienced defeat in his State, and it will be re-
membered that in one of his three Presidential
he failed to receive its electoral vote.
The probability is that Mr. Bryan will force the
fighting upon Mr.. Hitchcock on the same issue
over which the two cashed in the State con-
vention Mr.. Bryan will advocate prohibition and
Mr.. Hitchcock, although he is temperance man,
will oppose it. There is no doubt that prohibition
is just now very live topic and the results of the
elections in Michigan, Illinois and other States last
Tuesday show that the "drys' constantly
gaining ground. In Nebraska next year. however,
there will be other things to think about than
prohibition. Business depression, the Mexican
middle. the empty National Treasury and score
Of other indictments will be presented against the
Democratic party and will not be obscured by the
attempt to throw into the eyes of the voters the
dust of the prohibition issue. There may be a
ipht in the primaries between Rrvan and Hiteh-I