The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1916-10-13
BRYAN MAY TURN
RALLY HERE into
BIG DRY JUBILEE
Col. Gardeners Friends Fear
Commoner Will Spill the
Beans Next Tuesday.
HIS MICHIGAN TALKS
JARS WET DEMOCRATS
He Urged Michigan Democrats
to Vote State Dry and May
Repeat Speech Here.

Wet Democrats who have gloating
over the fact that William J. Bryan
would visit Cape Girardeau on Octo-
Der II, have been seized with the chills
since Mr.. Bryan made a speech in
Grand Rapids, Mich, on October s,
urging the Democrats of that State to
vote for Statewide prohibition, which
also will be submitted in Michigan on
November 7, the date Missouri will
vote on the issue.
NJ. Bryan, VINO visited Grand Rap
ids to make a Democratic speech, dwelt
more on the question of prohibition
than he did on the Democratic party,
and it is presumed that he will urge
the Democrats to vote dry in his tent
speech in Cape Girardeau next Tues
day.
The wet Democrats in this county
were supporters Of Col. F. d. Gardner
in the primary campaign, and as Col.
Gardner IS going to speak from the
same platform that Bryan does, it is
feared by the Democratic county lead
crs that a dry speech by Bryan would
put the soft pedal upon the Democratic
candidate for Governor.
Dry leaders in this county were elat-
cd at the reports of Bryan's speech in
Grand Rapids, and they feel sure he
will touch the same subject here, be-
cause Of the fact that prohibition will
be voted upon in Missouri on the same
date that the people OF Michigan will
decide the wet ard dry issue.
Wet Democrats have been consider
ing he advisability of taking the mat
ter uD with the Democratic State Com
mittec, in the hope that Mr.. Bryan
might BE- induced to steer clear of the
wet and dry issue in his speech here,
but this plan has been abandoned.
Whom it vas recalled that Mr.. Bryan
took the stump against wet Demo
cratic candidate for Governor in Ne
braska four years ago, the local lead
crs have decided they would only spill
the beans by agitating this question.
TIC approach the Commoner with a
demand to censor his talk, it is be-
lieved, would be the signal for hos
tilities. The wet Democrats have,
therefore, determined to sit tight and
not rock the boat If Bryan makes a
prohibition speech. thcy will take their
medicine. and il he avoids the subject,
they viii assemble in some quiet place
after tho meeting, and join in singing
that lannon's ballad, "Hail, hail, the
gangs all here"
The plans 20 send former Governor
Patterson Of Tennessee to Cape Cir
ardeau County have been side-tracked,
local wet Democrats say. Mr.. Patter-
son is ore Of the prohibition party'S
best known speakers and is a brother
in-law of Col. Gardner. Patterson in
sisted on speaking in Missouri in be-
half Of his brother-in-law' candidacy,
and the State Committee accepted his
offer.
He was originally billed for speech
here on tho day that Bryan will be in
the Cape but this plan vas derailed.
As soon as tho vet Democrats learned
that Patterson was headed this way,
they sounded the distress signal. In
accordance with the wishes of the To-
cal leaders, the State Committee there
upon changed Mr. Patterson's itinerary
so that it would miss Cape Girardeau |
County. Il is understood that the ma !
ior part Of his time Hill be spent in
that are known to be dry.
Having disposed Of Patterson, the
ocal leaders thought the future look
ed pretty rosy. The BRYAN incident,
however, has put dent in the spirits
= the local leaders who are now max
ng arrangements to entertain the
CommOner next Tuesday afternoon.