The Washington herald., 1920-04-18
And
BRYAN RIVALS
Fighting in Nebraska for
Seat at Frisco Con-
vehtion.
coNTiNuEp PROM PAGE oNE.

Eighteenth amendment. 1t Is true
that Senator Hitchcock confines his
own lpreachments to the defense Of
the moderate program of light wines
and beer. but the forces behind him
make no conceaiment Of the fact
that their creed is for the complete
overthrow. of national prohibition.
No man is better qualified to de-
[fend prohibition and to attack its
foes than Mr.. Bryan, and no au-
diences are more receptive to the
arguments advanced in that cause
than those of Nebraska. 1t Is urged
that while the sentiment OF the
State is undoubtedly dry that of a
majority Of the Democratic voters
which is what Bryan seeks. is wet.
That might have been the case be-
fore women were given equal SUI
frage with men. but 1t Is true no
longer.
On Sunrsge Defensive.
And Mr.. Bryan Is appealing to the
women voters of his party as no
other public man could. His own
record in the agitation for suffrage
is without a flaw. while that Of his
adversary is frankly one Of hostility
to women voters.
Upon this issue he has put Sem
ator Hitchcock upon the defense.
1t needs but little comprehension of
feminine psychology to understand
that when of two contestants for
1.-THE votes of women, one stands for
suffrage and for prohibition. while
the other is recorded as opposed to
both the former will gather in the
ballots.
Now all this does not mean that
Mr.. Bryan has not had a hard fight.
and does not face next Tuesdays
vote with some chance of disaster.
Many things have been done in
his name and some by him person
ally that have greatly weakened his
hold on the people Of his State.
There are indeed those who hold
that he is no longer entitled to
claim Nebraska as his home. as 1t
sees him but little save at election
times.
Scraps of Paper.
His defeat of Champ Clark in the
Baltimore convention comes up re-
peatedly to curse him. not because
Sebraskans are enamored of the
idea that Clark would have been a
better President in the troubleous
days now drawing to a close than
was President Wilson. but because
Mr.. Bryan himself had so thorough
Iy trained them in the belief that
instructions to delegates were bind
ing, that they cannot condone his
treating them as a scrap OF paper.
He has estranged many Of his own
| old friends and most efficient po-
litical supporters. particularly those
of Douglas County, in which is the
city Of Omaha with its great Demo-
cratic vote. 1t has been my fortune
in the past to know much Of the
personnel of the Bryan strength in
Nebraska, but In the last few. days
have been hard put to It to find
a single prominent Bryan man in
this city. And there Is perhaps
certain sugeestiveness in the fact
that it is almost impossible to buy
a COPY of the Commoner here though
n~well remember when they
were as generally displayed on the
street news-stands as the daily
papers.
Talent as Trouble Maker.
These are the chief factors against
Bryan. 1t is fair to note that they
are more apparent and will be more
operative in Douglas County than
else where in the State. But there
is tremendous Democratic vote in
this county the surrender of which
to Mr.. Bryan's foes will put a heavy
task upon the country districts if it
is to be overcome
Senator Hitchcock in his later
speeches has laid stress upon Bryan's
established reputation as a trouble
maker, and has urged that he be
kept out of the convention lest he
create dissention there. Here again
comes in the veXed question of what
is to be, the Democratic position on
the liquor question.
Bryan, suspicious that the party
| may wish to take back track on
this issue purposes fighting for an
explicit declaration in favor of the
literal enforcement of the amend
ment. That in the Hitchcock esti-
nation means trouble--and 1t doubt
less will. But the forces with
which the Senator has allied himself
! will not be content without a dec
laration in favor of qualifying the
amendment in such a way as to ad-
NIT the sale at least of light wines
aud beer. That will reopen the
whole question of the saloon in po-
litics.
Chance to Come Back.
Can anyone doubt on whose shoul-
ders the greater responsibility for
making trouble will lie?
1t was perfectly apparent when
Governor Edwards reopened the
question of prohibition that he had
given Mr.. Bryan an ardently desired
chance to come back. That chance
has been seized with consummate
skill and is being improved with all
the art at Mr.. Bryan's command.
Mr.. Hitchcock has been Unanswered
into the position of the defender of
] the saloon. Try as he will he can
not get out of it. Too courageous
and too sincere to deny his position
as a defender of a moderate con-
liquors he nevertheless sees his peril
and tries in every way to shift the
issue. Though but few people in
Nebraska are thinking or talking of
the league of nations and the treaty,
he strives to galvanize that issue
into life by declaring that only Mr..
Bryan's "desertion of the President"
and his demand for'ratification with
a reservation made at the jackson
Day dinner led him QIitchcock) to
become a Presidential candidate
at all. = .-.
Treaty Little Considered.
| But that plea has fallen fat IF