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The Commoner.
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-VOLUME 10, NUMBER 30
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Nebraska Democrats Meet at Grand Island
Tho Nobraska democratic convention mot at
Grand iBland July 26. It was ono of tho largest
conventions over held In the state. Mr. Bryan
lod the fight for a county option plank and was
defeated by a vote of 198 yeas to 647 nays.
Speoches wero delivered by W. D. Oldharn of
Kearney, II. P. Flehurty of Omaha, Senator
Prank P. Ransom of Omaha, and M. F. Harring
ton of O'Noil, In which these gentlemen bitterly
attacked Mr. Bryan for his advocacy of county
option. The convention adopted the following
platform:
Tho democrats of Nebraska in convention as
sembled presont to tho voters of tho state tho
following declaration of principles:
Wo declare again our devotion to the princi
ples of self-government, of the protection of
human rights as proclaimed by Thomas Jeffer
son at the birth of democracy in America.
We ondorso the last democratic national plat
form and the Nebraska democratic state plat
forms of 1908 and 1909.
Wo congratulate tho party upon widespread
revival of democracy sentiment which gives
promiso of democratic victory.
Wo seo in the passage of tho present tariff
bill an example of the subserviency of the repub
lican administration to the privileged interests
of tho country.
Wo congratulate the country that democratic
opposition has thus far succeeded in defeating
tho iniquitous ship subsidy.
Wo recognize in tho many excessive rates on
such favored products as steel, woolen goods,
rubber, lumber and others, the return which
tho republican politicians are making to tho
plundering trusts for" campaign contributions
two years ago.
We condemn tho president for surrendering
to Aldrich and Cannon tho control of tariff re
vision and for using his patronage to force un
willing congressmen of the republican party to
accept their dictation. , ' ' t
, Wo-doplore tho president's folly 'andv"w'eakne'ss
in surrounding himself with a cabinet of trust
advisors.
Wo favor the conservation of tho natural re
sources of tho country and condemn the policy
under which favored capitalists and political
syndicates secure control of water power, coal
mines and other sources of tho nation's wealth
in the states and Alaska unrestrained and ap
parently favored by the present national admin
istration. Wo condemn the president for retaining in
his cabinet the close friend and former attorney
for the powerful and unscrupulous syndicate
caught in the very act of plunder.
We join democrats everywhere in pledging
tho party to the cause of tariff reform, econ
omy and simplicity in government, trust prosecu
tion and the ratification of the income tax
amendment.
Wo have confidence that upon the national
issues and in an attack on national evils, we
shall receive tho co-operation and support of
independent voters and win a sweeping victory
in Nebraska.
We heartily approve of the daylight saloon
law and wo commend the courageous action of
Governor Shallenberger in approving it.
We approve and indorse the administration of
Ashton C.' Shallenberger. His acts have been
honest, wise and patriotic. We invite a careful
scrutiny of tho executive power which two years
ago was committed to our trust in his selection
as governor. His administration has been one
of fidelity and devotion to tho party pledges
upon which we invited the suffrages of the
people.
We are opposed to making county option or
any other plan for the regulation of the liquor
traffic a question of party creed. Wo stand for
and insist upon a strict enforcement of our pres
ent laws, and believe that any further changes
in our liquor legislation ought to be decided by
a direct vote of the people, and that the cause
of good government and public morals will be
better served in that way than by dividing the
people into hostile factions on purely moral
issues.
We are in favor of tho following amendments
to our constitution:
First Providing for biennial elections.
Second Providing for the election of judges
of the supreme court by districts' on a non-parti-ftan
ballot.
Third Providing for a non-partisan board
of control of our state institutions.
Fourth Providing for the initiative and ref
erendum. ...
Fifth Giving to metropolitan cities and cities
of the first-class the right to make their own
charters
We pledge ourselves to a redistricting of the
stato by the legislature to be elected this year
to the end that all counties and sections of the
Btate may have fair and equitablo representation.
We favor such laws as will take our courts and
schools out of partisan politics.
We favor the advancement of agriculture and
pledge the legislature if successful to favor the
establishment of an agricultural school in south
western Nebraska.
We believe that the prosperity of any country
is in direct ratio to its facilities for communica
tion and transportation. Wo therefore favor the
enactment of a- more effective system of road
laws that will provide for state and county aid
in the construction of permanent wagon roads.
The rapid increase in the use of the automo
bile as a means of travel necessitates such legis
lation as will protect the public against acci
dents resulting from reckless, immature and in
efficient drivers.
We pledge our local committees and stato com
mittee and our candidates not to accept contri
butions from any railroad or other corporation,
trust, brewery, distillery or saloon, anti-saloon
organization or from any person or association
of pecuniary or prejudicial interest in securing
or defeating legislation.
This plank was later adopted, it being the
majority report of the three bearing on county
option submitted by the committee on reso
lutions: "We are opposed to making county option or
any other plan for the regulation of the liquor
traffic a question of party creed. We stand for
and insist upon a strict enforcement of our
present laws, and believe that any further
changes in our liquor legislation ought to be
decided by a direct vote of the people and that
the .cause, of good government and, public morals
wlljj'be better served' in .'tha way than' by divid
ing the. people into hostile factions on purely
moral issues."
that listened to him with keenness and admira
tion that to see was not to be forgotten. Some
of Nebraska's greatest democratic leaders of
eminence, prominence and acknowledged elo
quence who arraigned themselves against Bryan
gave rare exhibitions of courage and displays
of forensic ability long to be remembered.
No man ever made a braver fight than did
Mr. Bryan at this great convention. The hosts
were too overwhelmingly and unflinchingly mar
shaled against him; after all he said and did
before the platform committee and on the con
vention floor he failed to sway a majority .over
to his side. When the final roll was called a
vast majority registered against him adminis
tered to him the most stinging defeat of his
political career and this, too, by representa
tives of his own party in his own state.
After the sting of defeat he was found show
ing the same confidence, self-poise and earnest
ness of purpose as on those former occasions
when he lost in his great contests for the
presidency.
The Grand Island convention is history.
The -verdict of the rank and file at the pri
maries in August and then at the polls in No
vember will be' a final test that will be looked
forward to with uncommon interest.
NEBRASKA POPULISTS
MR. BRYAN AT GRAND ISLAND
(From the Hastings, Neb., Republican)
The editor of this paper attended the demo
cratic state convention at Grand Island and we
feel we do not exaggerate the least in declaring
that for dramatic situations and incidents, dis
play of oratory, invective and withering sar
casm by those skilled in rhetoric and logic it
was a struggle such as was never witnessed be
fore in Nebraska and in many particulars was
the most intensely interesting and exciting po
litical battle ever waged on a convention floor
in this or any state in the union. It was a
Titanic struggle pitted against one man W. J.
Bryan and when all was said and done and
the smoke of battle had lifted from the scene,
there seemed but one inevitable conclusion, and
that was that it was a turning down of a great
leader that to his friends could not have been
considered otherwise than painfully humiliating.
Never did the genius of Bryan as an orator shine
with greater lustre. Indeed, there were those
present at Chicago who heard the great speech
which swayed a convention, electrified the people
of the entire nation and won for him his first
nomination for the presidency. These friends
think his speech of more than three hours dur
ation at Qrand IBland last night surpassed this
Chicago effort. Such was his earnestness, direct
ness and mastery of his subject and the situation
from his viewpoint, that even those in the ma
jority pitted and committed against him were
seemingly as eager and willing listeners as his
friends.
It was a mighty struggle waged with a tensity
and subdued emotions of feelings, such as is
seldom witnessed on a convention floor.
If any there present had the least doubt Mr.
Bryan ever lacked in courage, even when sur
rounded by opponents, that thought was quickly
dispelled. A Roman gladiator never went forth
with sword unsheathed to do battle with greater
courage than did Mr. Bryan face his opponents
on this occasion.
He never spoke more earnestly and vigorously
and, too, when he must have apparently felt and
known that no matter how eloquently he pleaded
his cause, he was doomed to defeat.
Tho thousands of people packed In and about
a large circus tent made up a mighty crowd
The people's independent party of Nebraska
met at Grand Island July 26 and adopted tho
following platform:
We, the duly accredited delegates of tho
peoples' independent party in the state conven
tion assembled at Grand Island, Neb., on this
26th day of July, 1910, hereby renew our faith
in and adherence to the principles set forth in
the peoples' independent party platform adopted
at Omaha, Neb., eighteen years ago, the fourth
day of July last. We rejoice that our persistent
advocacy of these principles has led both the
democratic and republican party to incorporate
a number of them into their respective plat
forms, and we hereby pledge our unswerving
support "and advocacy of our faith until all gov
ernments, state and national, shall be adminis
tered with a sole view of. se.curingequal and
exact justice to all the people. 'We 'therefore
demand the enactment of the -following princi
ples into law:
First Initiative: We Indorse the method of
direct legislation by the people; known as the
initiative and. referendum and recall, made ap
plicable to state, county, city and village, town
ship and school district, and we favor the sub
mission of an amendment to our state constitu
tion to that end.
Second Board of Control: We are In favor
of a non-partisan board of control for all of our
state institutions, and we believe that all ap
pointments should be based on a civil service
examination so that the wards of the state can
have the bept possible care.
Third We favor an adequate appropriation
for the proper equipment of the bureau of labor
and industrial statistics to the end that it may
be able to perform its functions as a means of
arbitration, mediation and conciliation and also
to the end that it may be in proper shape to ad
vertise to the whole world the manifold re
sources and unlimited possibilities of the great
state of Nebraska.
Fourth County Option: We favor county op
tion. We demand the enactment of such a law
as the best method of controlling the liquor
business and destroying the brewers' power in
politics of this state.
Fifth Liquor Legislation: We approve the'
enactment of the daylight saloon law, the veto
of tbo Fort Crook saloon license law and the in
vocation of the Sackett law against the recreant
chief of police of the city of Omaha.
Sixth We commend the great commoner, W.
J. Bryan, for his fight against the brewers and
for the homes of Nebraska.
The following resolution was adopted: -"We
pledge the peoples' party to vote for
those candidates only who openly pledge them
selves for county option."
Q
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