The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1924-01-22
McAdoo,Off
of Mullen.
Joins Bryan
Decision Not to Enter Nebras-
ka Primaries Against Gov
ernOr Is Blow to
Hitchcock.
Hurt by W ct Support
BY Mark Sullivan.

Washington, Jan. 21.-McAdoo has
just given the Bryan brothers his for
NAL assurance that in view of his
= long friendship for them he will not
embarrass them by entering his name
in the Nebraska primaries.
This will have large effect on
McAdoo's political fortunes, and some
developments arising out of it will
emerge shortly. To understand the
, national significance of this event. it
is necessary first to understand its
local significance in Nebraska.
In Nebraska there are two demo
cratic factions. One is led by ex
Senator Gilbert NJ. Hitchcock and For.
mer National Committeeman Arthur
Mullen. The other is the Bryan fac
ton and the leader of it now is w. J.
Bryan's brother, Charles w, who is
the present governor.
Shakes Off Mullen.
The Hitchcock Mullen faction has
lately been aiming to lead the McAdoo
band wagon In Nebraska. McAdoo is
popular in the stale, and the faction
identified with him would have to that
extent an advantage in the local stu
alton. Governor Bryan and the Bry.
an faction have been embarrassed by
the fact that their opponents had APP
parently succeeded in identifying their
fortunes with McAdoo as the favorite
candidate for the presidential nomin-
alton.
Now, by Mr.. McAdoo's action, all
that is off. McAdoo declines to be in
the position of being an embarrass-
ment to the Bryans and an aid to the
opposing faction. For this, w. J. Bry-
m will undoubtedly be grateful, and
hat gratitude will express itself out
side the boundaries of Nebraska.
May Enlist Bryan support.
1t is difficult TO conceive of this
Gesture on the part of McAdoo as
otherwise than meaning that w. J.
Bryan win be at least silent sup
PORTER of McAdoo, and possibly vocal
ore. At least. it saves McAdoo from
the possibility of Bryan opposing him
fnr the nomination. At the most
Eryan may become<an active support
81 of McAdoo. From now on. Bryan
may be expected to fight Underwood
vigorously, and for Bryan to flight
e to help McAdo. Moreover. it be-
comes certain that after the nomina-
ton. IL McAdoo gets it. he will have
the hearty support OF Bryan in the
eamraign.
Bryan will not hang hack as he did
in the case of Cox in 1920. And
whether Bryan is active or reluctant
in his support of a democratic candi-
date for the presidency makes a good
deal of difference in the electoral vote
west Of the Mississippi. After Cox wasl
nominated at San Francisco in 1920,
BRYAN gave out picturesque inter
view. in which he said: MY heart Is
in the grave" Whereupon good
many democrats west of the Missis-
sippi said that If the heart of VIII
liam J. Bryan was in the grave, the
l,opes of James NJ. Cox might as
we'll be in the same hole. The result
was that Cox got fewer democratic
votes west of the Mississippi than
any other candidate within the
memory Of man.
u Natural Alignment.
McAdoo has done extremely well
for himself by making himself solid
with the Bryans. The tieup is very
easy for Bryan 10 accept. 1t Is well
enough for William j. Bryan. where
he is in running to be delegate from
his new state of Florida. TO come out
y for a. let us say. not very wen
known college professor in that state
as a candidate for the democratic
presidential nomination. But the fact
is that among the serious contenders,
McAdoo Is far closer to Bryan's priD-
ciples than any other. McAdoo. Ike
pryan. Is real dry" McAdoo is a.
100 per ce6t dry. both as a matter
of political principle and also as a
personal practice, which latter doesn't
always follow in the case of all poll
ticians. McAdoo really believes in
prohibition.
This present incident is a proof
that the McAdoo campaign is being
much better managed than four years
ago. The fact Is the fight between
McAdoo and his opponents is as
evenly balanced and as expertly
fought as any fight we have seen In
recent years. Just at this moment
il Is In the position OF n tight tug-of-
war at perfect equilibrium.