Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-12-07
PLAN TO BLOCK /
BRYAN "DROUGHT|
Wing Of Democratic parlI
Will Fight Prohibition
Movement
PRESIDENT KEEPS Mn
Linking of Suffrage Issue ~.
clared to BE Tactical
Error

WASHINGTON, Dec. 7.-wIuIar
ningH Bryan's endeRvor 10 dictate "A a
issues' Of the next national campatvr -.
be met with strenuous opposition NO..
hts own party. Democratic leaders 49,
this plain today. although all vrre 49,.
in making any public announcement ~
ing 10 bring down upon them the osr..
tion Of he Nehraskan.
The fact. however. that Colonial r.
had coupled with his nation-vids d. ~ ~,
gram proposition for woman Eufgravs 4.
national constitutional amendment, -,
heart to tho opposition.
II was declared by tho mon who s,...
to oppose the Bryan program within A.
Democracy that In doing this BRYAN ~.
a grave tactical error lilo II dependiry
the solid South for prohibition aupn,rf N
and his closest followers readily admH =.
the South In the big obstacle today IN ts'
way Of any national movement for ss1
suffrage. With suffrage and prohibiit~
coupled Il will very likely oppose both.
Bryan himself declared empha,leal,v !.
day that he Is confident that the profrs~
no outlined In his speech here last nisl'
would furnish the big planISs for the nss..
ocratic national platform Of 1890 ia ~,
that by consenting TO postponement for a.,
years OF consideration uf prohIbife-
plank AT the national convention in 81. Iors
last Juno he made a concession for whls
lt tApN'Nth w w ltNblutu Dy tn0 OffrH.
Gratis OF the nation SO soon as they undsf.
stood his plans
The white House declined all eotnrs.,
today on the Bryan program. Howevw, h
was privately pointed out that Presldssi
Wilson had indicated. no believed that M
frago and prohibition were local rath,,
that national issues. Tho President VIII,
Governor of New Jersey. took the positis.
that local option was the best means y
NNN IfTNgr L.
has said that suffrage should be q star
and not a national issue
For obvious reasons, however. PresId.e.
Wilson will take no open stand at this tina
on prohibition i'm opposition to the pube
position OF Mr. Bryan. n understood hers
that he believes the entire program outf'as4
In the St. Louis platform must be wojksl
out before any other policies can be t1ksa
up And so fas as the Bryan sueglsss
regarding a referendum on any prnns3
declaration OF war is concerned II 4 IA
in official circles that Mr. Bryan is llsns
in It's advocacy.
The opponents of prohibition are prsaar-
ing to line up the Fast In opposition 70 ~
Bryan program. They say that whit -
Ncbraakan last night argued that ths Il.
election OF President Wilson was made pss.
sible by elimination OF the wet cities-
study OF the statistics will show that "drysH
cannot control the next Democrats COB.
vention on the basis of the present rep
rcscntation.
There Is no effort being made here 4
disguise the fact that the fight for and
against tho Bryan policies will prove hllicf
and will sake the Democracy to itB certst
But the majority OF the Democratic lead
ers declare that 1t ls n good thing taa
the issue has been raised thus early i
It will make II possible to dispose Of {
before the roads must be cleared for tht
1920 campaign.