Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-02-13


cabinet. Since then the split between the
president and Mr.. Bryan has been grow
ing wider and wider No observing man
believes for a moment that Mr.. Bryan
10 really a supporter OF the president. In
deed on the paramount issue he Il an
avowed opponent Of the president. II he
was at all favorable TO him-as he was
In 19l2-he would not seek TO demoralise
the party in this state by forcing the
liquor question into the state convention.
He would save his efforts for the cam
paign in favor OF the amendment itself
after the primaries and when his efforts
would count
Then dry" democrats and dry" repub
| llcans can cooperate and fight for tho
prohibition amendment while they worl,
with their respective parties for the gen
eral questions upon which they are at
agreement. Then Mr.. Bryans efforts for
prohibition would count for lie would
have behind him the dry democrats
who object-just as he heretofore OBJ
| jectedt-o dragging the liquor question
into the party convention when that
question can be settled through the
initiative and referendum.
Mr.. Bryan speaks about the ''insolence'
of the liquor interests. They are and
always have been insolent. He says the
democratic party must not be enslaved
by this (the liquor interests) the most
sordid and corrupting Of them ALL" That
10 tru but It has always been true. II
was just as true in the days when Mr..
Bryan was being supported by the liquor
interests and in the later days when his
good name was used in this state by his
political machine for the election OF
candidates known to be favorable TO the
liquor interests.
It was just as true when his machine
helped to defeat Mr.. Henry. a we'll known
dry" for speaker In the interest OF a
gentleman who was notoriously wet"
1t was true when the liquor interests
sought to punish Governor Shallenberger
land succeeded for the eight o'clock
closing law. having all the time the covert
aid OF the Bryan political machine.
Dealers in "snealE'' Literature.
1t was just as true In 1914 The story
am about to tell shows the lengths to
which the Bryan machine was willing to
60 to nominate a wet" candidate over
"dry" candidate. Mr.. Morehead, Mr..
|
were candidates that year in the demo-
cratic primary. All the influence of the
Bryan political machine was thrown for
Mr.. Morehead. who was and had always
been the liquor interests candidate. A
! few days before that primary Mr.. Bryan
announced in a dispatch from Washing
ton that he would take no part in the
gubernatorial contest. On the day fol-
lowing the publication of that announce
ment the Bryan political machine sent
throughout the state under 2-cent postage
an anonymous circular pretending to
be copy of an article printed in a
Washington newspaper. The article had
never been printed in any newspaper. II
was prepared at the instigation of the
Bryan machine. 1t was directed against
the candidacy of the editor of The Me-
braskan. II had no marks to identify
| its author or the persons responsible for
its circulation. II was tissue OF false
hoods with just enough truth to give
It some semblance OF honesty. 1t sought
to make It appear that Metcalf was anti
Bryan and anti-Wilson. that ne was being
supported by the brewers and the cor
porations OF the state and that he had
been failure in his service as civil
governor on the Canal zone.
The scenes at the democratic state con-
vention held at Columbus that year had
convinced the Bryan machine that some
thing must be done to assure Metcalf' 8
defeat. So they sent those anonymous
letters. largely to Commoner readers.
The facts are that while Metcalfe had
never been deeply impressed with the
greatness OF Mr.. Bryan's brother. he
was not hostile to Mr.. Bryan himself
At the very moment these sneak Letters
were being read by Nebraska democrats
Metcalfe was then serving on the demo
cratic text boog committee. having beer
selected for that task by President VII
son, himself. Metcalfe hurried to Wash
ington after his defeat to complete the
work Of preparing the democratic tex
book for 1914 and later was sent by the
national committee to campaign the STATE
OF Maine on the Woodrow Wilson f.
sue The fact was also that instead Of
being q failure in the canal zone. Met
calfe uncovered enormous graft in tbs
cornmissary, which resulted In the In
dictment OF nine men; he cleaned up the
American prison there; built up th'
schools and in his relations with the
Panama officials disposed Of many an
|
States many thousands OF dollars. which
otherwise It would have lost. The fac
was that every brewery and every saloor
In Nebraska was recruiting station
against Metcaife and that the influences
OF those institutions as well as tina
OF the corporations was exerted for th'
nomination of the candidate supported
by the Bryan political machine.
! O. ~ n
Nebraska being ensiaved by the liquol
interestsl The Bryan political machine
has helped to enslave IT,
Talk about defeating liquor tnteres
candidates3 The Bryan political ma
chine has often helped to elect sucl
candidates.
The only Democratic Temperancs
Measure.
The democratic party has never beer
dry parry. In all the history OF tina