The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1916-01-14
Bill Bryan Is the Man They Fear
The Most Now

! Washington, January S.-William
] Jennings Bryan has filed the thick
| and thin supporters of the admins
tration with new spasm of wrath be-
! cause he is telling his own thick and
thin supporters that he proposes to
! live up to the one-uerm pIaiin IN the
democratic national platform. What
| this may mean the upholders Of the
/ president do not clearly understand,
but they are convinced beyond ques-
! ton that the Nebraskan means trouble
and lots of it.
| In the corridors and cloakrooms OF
| the capitol one can hear almost con-
slant discussion of Bryan. Two or
| three democrats standing aloof and
| shaking their heads generally means
! Bryan. If you pass within earshot
you catch the solemn remark, "Bry-
an is making a great mistake The
phrase covers the opinion of those,
and all of them, who do not want any
trouble in the democratic party. And,
| of course, those who are in office do
not want that kind of trouble.
Bryan TpubIe Maker.
1t is not yet claimed by anybody
here that Bryan will be a candidate
for the presidential nomination. Yet
when the word comes that he pro-
poses to see that the one -term plank
is enforced they take him at his word.
They believe he means what he says,
and they conjure up all sorts of
trouble that Bryan is capable of max
ing for the faithful "ins" who want
to remain in. Probably the most
common Interpretation of Bryans
declaration is that he means to kick
up row in the democratic national
convention in case that body proceeds
to ignore the one-term plank and re-
nominate the president. AS kicker
up of rows in national convention
they all have high respect for Bryan,
no matter what other opinion of him
may be entertained.
Fights Wilson Preparedness Plan.
AS an indication that Bryan will
not hesitate to trip up the president
it may be stated that practically every
day sees the arrival of somebody with
report of some new proof of Bryan's
growing hostility toward the admin
istration. Just now he is bending his
energies to the defeat of the admin
istration's preparedness program.
Full significance has been attached
to the fact that before Henry Ford
landed at New York he summoned
Bryan to conference and that Rry-
an fastened to it at the earliest pos
sible moment, though he had to break
his Sabbath to do it. Nor has it been
overlooked here that almost the first
words spoken by Ford after the con-
ference with Bryan were used to ex-
press his firm belief that the prepar-
edness program would be defeated
Neither Bryan nor Ford would dis
cuSS the nature of their conference.
but that hardly was necessary when
it is so well understood that they are.
fighting in common against arming
this nation and each is willing to go
the limit to accomplish that end.
An Open Split Is Feared.
Some few of the politicians have
expressed the fear that Bryan con-
templates the division of the demo-
cracy by maneuver somewhat like
that by which Colonel Roosevelt split
the republicans in 1912. They think
he has in>mind running on some sort
of pacifist ticket in case the presi-
dent carries his preparedness program
through congress. But it must be
said that this rests so far on nothing
but apprehensive conjecture.
Mr.. Bryan has not indicated any
purpose to split with his party. On
the contrary, all his work of which
any record comes to Washington,
shows him laboring entirely inside the
democratic ranks so far as the polit-
ical side of his fight is concerned.
All the same, he has caused the
District Of Columbia to contain more
than several badly scared democrats.
For he has made it clearly apparent
that Bryan will have to- be reckoned
with in securing success for the
democracy this year.
Mapleton, January S.--After all
its meetings and deliberations, the
Burns committee decided finally yes
terday to accept the Marsh PROPOSE
tion to rent the local picture house,
lOW IOCdISU III the OlQ opera mouse,
for the purpose of giving the Burns
day program. The pictures which will
be no doubt appropriate for the oc-
casion, will be run at some other time
OF the day. This action was made
final because the trustees of the Con-
gre2ational church were divided upon
the question of letting the church
proper to be used for such purposes.
The program will be given in tho
opera house after the banquet in the
church parlors. The Masonic hall will
be open for visitors where the i'm
promptu program will be carried out
The rink is in the best OF shape and
Kinks are curling every evening,
getting ready to keep all the trophies
in Mapleton this year.
The insolvency of John Tyler has
another sadder side He has left a
wife sick under the doctors care and
three small children, the Oldest being
four years, none of whom are we'll.
Nearly every home has been visited
by grip the past two weeks. Many
have been very sick
T. B. Taylor is on the sick list.
Archie T. Johnston, who has been in