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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (June 1, 1922)
' "-J" '"tVWTr 'fftyiffi - The Commoner VOL. 22, NO. 6 1 -OST" t " ' Harmony Is Possible Below will bo found a statement addressed to the Democrats of Nebraska, suggesting a basis upon which the two factions of the Democrntlc party that have been antagonizing each other for a number of years ovor tho Issues of prohibition-and woman's suffrage might And it possblo to tunite and present a solid front to the Repub licans on current issues. It Is Mr. Bryan's intention to give out later statements discussing tho matter of candidates and also platforms. Mr. Bryan's first statement Which we reproduce only covers tho senatorship. It Is as follows: "I have rocoived so many inquiries from Demo cratic men and women in Nebraska, nslcing my opinion on matters pertaining to the Democratic political situation in Nebraska, making sugges tions and urging that certain steps bo taken, that I have decided to present through the daily press In a frank manner my views as to the political situation and o.ffer some suggestions which may . throw some light on tho situation. - "Tho people need tho Democratic party at this time 'to stop the extravagance and inefficiency of the present Republican administration and"to re luce the operating expenses of the state govern ment so as to bring the people's taxes 'within their ability to pay. The essential questions Upon which tho people are asking for information on and which I expect to discuss are: Can tho Demo cratic party win in Nebraska this year? Can all olements of the Democratic party be united into one fighting force for good? Can Senator Hitch cock be re-elected to the United States senate? What kind of a ticket and what kind of a plat form will it require to bring about Democratic success and bring about relief to tho taxpayers? "For the past few years there havo been two factions in tho Democratic party. One faction, known as the dry progressive Democratic faction, and the other, the wet conservative Democratic faction. These factions, however, were common ly known as the Hitchcock and Bryan factions. "The liquor question has been settled in Ne braska by a prohibition constitutional amend ment which the most optimistic wet does not ex pect to be repealed. Tho same is true in the na tion, but tho matter of the enforcement of pro hibition has been made an issue throughout the United States by the wets. Tho people of Ne braska are -not willing to take any backward step on what has already been accomplished alon? moral political lines. For tho Democratic party to win in Nebraska, It is not only necessary for all olements of tho Democratic party to be united, but it is also necessary to draw to the Democratic party a large block of Republican votes. "I believe that the Democratic party can be united on an honorable basis. I believe 1t is pos sible to re-elect Senator Hitchcock to the United States senato. "I am not authorized to speak for the progrcs sive Democratic men and women of Nebraska on political subjects, but I have actively partici pated with them in their contests in this state and bolieve that I have a fair knowledge of their mental attitude towards present political condi tions and possible candidates. I am not au thorized to speak for Senator Hitchcock, but T am going to suggest what I believe would be an honorable and practical basis upon which he Democratic forces of Nebraska could 'work to gether. Assuming that Senator Hitchcock in tends to file as a Democratic candidate for re election, and knowing that a representative of the state must represent the sentiment of the state, I assume that the senator, in announcing his candidacy, would announce his acceptance of the prohibition and suffrage issues as already settled by the voters of this state and pledge himself to vote and use his influence in the Fen ato, if elected, to uphold the well known senti ment of Nebraska, which is opposed to any modi fication which would weaken tho Volstead act and that ho would support o liberal appropria tion for the enforcement of prohibition. I be lieve that such an attitude on his part as far as national legislation is concerned would be sat isfactory to all elements of the party in Nebras ka, but in order to remove tho question of pro hibition as an issue which has divided tho party and in order to keep the prohibition question out of the present state campaign, and as an assur ance of the acceptance bySenator Hitchcock and his paper, tho World-Herald, that the prohibi tion question is settled, they should be wllUnu to help draft a -state ticket and support it in the primary composed of tho strong, progressive dry Democratic men and women. Senator Hitchcock has proven his ability. No one questions his couragn. 'His acquaintance and leadership in the United States sonute can be of great value to the people of Nebraska if he and his paper bring themselves into accord and accept what has been accomplished in Nebraska by the moral forces of all political parties. "I bolieve the above is an honorable, safe and practical basis upon which tho Democratic party in Nebraska could be united. If the party could bo united on tho basis suggested which gives guarantees to each other that the questions that have divided the party in the past would not again be Te-opened , it would only then be a question of drafting a state ticket in Nebraska that would be supported and nominated in the open without any trades or double crosses by party fixers, and then by outlining a progressive legislative program that would specifically state what it meant, how legislative relief and admin istrative reforms were to be brought about, the Democratic party would again be in a position to servo the people of Nebraska and all elements of the party working together on current prob lems, I bel'eve would command tho support of a great majority of the voters at the coming elec tion. "In a later statement I will discuss candidates and suggest what it might bo possible to do to disrel the present apathy as to candidatesand I will offer some suggestions as to a platform cm bodying specific legislative relief. "CHARLES W. BRYAN." To Elect Mayor by Direct Vote The readers of The Commoner will recall that about one year ago at the city election of the city of Lincoln, Nebraska, Charles W. Bryan was a candidate for city commissioner with a view to the mayorship. Lincoln has the form of govern ment known as the city commission plan. The charter provides that five councilmen are to be elected and that after they are elected, they se lect from their number by a majority vote of the council one of their members who shall act as mayor and assign the other four members of the council to other departments of the city's work In the city election in Lincoln Mr. Bryan was a candidate on a municipal ownership platform and his opponent, who was a candidate for- the city council with a view to the mayorship, ex pressed himself as opposed to Mr. Bryan's mu nicipal ownership program. At the election Mr Bryan received a majority of upwards of 600 vo.es over his opponent, but-both he and his on ponont were among the five highest men at the dty ccnuncnirher6f0r0 WeW mem of In place of carrying out the wishes of the poo pie as expressed at the polls and assigning Mr Bryan to the position of mayor, the city council under pressure from the business interests of "Sp city, who were opposed to Mr. Bryan's municipal ownership program, was induced to override the will of the people and to assign Mr Bryan to the department of streets and public improve ments,, and selected his opponent for mnvn? whom Mr. Bryan had defeated at the US The assigning of Mr. Bryan to the dMartmpnV n? streets did not prevent him from organ Sng nun lie sentiment and securing the passlge of mS" nicipal coal yard ordinance, the results of SX the readers of The Commoner WfamiHar Th people however, havo resented the action of TS council and have demanded that the charter h amended so that they may vote direct for mavor At a recent session of the city council Mr Bryan presented a petition drawn under the inki ativo and referendum provision of the city chr" tor, and asked that an election be called i and ?h the people be given an opportunity -to vote S suggested amendment to i the charter t?v?i he for the selection of a mayor Below wniPiVcling Mr. Bryan's statement to the .council n hto!an ing tho petition. The pronosK L pres?,nt the charter will probably bo Jresonted totEw6 ers and passed upon at their SSnerni 5? VOt" held in Nebraska July 18 Kvi-Prl?ary ment to the council Is as follows ym B State" m ,. , Lincoln, Nebraska, May 29. 1922 . LcrCbbr,thocitycou- statuteafor the purpoee of amending th oh. ?d of the c.ty of Lincoln. nKSSt'S charter as drawn will permit the people to B lect whom they want for mayor for the cltv h direct vote and repeals that provision of ih charter which permitted the members of the Mt! council to assign one of their number to the S. sition of mayor after the election of the C councilmen at the city election. The commission form of government placed the discretion of the assignment of the variotiB heads of the government in the hands of thn council so that jobs in certain departments could not be promised in advance. The com mission form of government' remedied the abuse referred to above but anotlier abuse has guwn up under the commission form of government that is more dangerous to the people's interests and more contrary- to the American principle of government than- the abuse which it was in tended to remedy, namely,the bverriding of pon ular government. As the Lincoln charter requires the mayor to constantly investigate questions of public inter est and make recommendations to the council for legislative action,' candidates for the city" council with a view to the mayorship are ex pected to outline to the voters the legislative and administrative measures that such candi date if elected would try to have carried out during his administration. The refusal, there fore, of a city council to assign to the mayor's position the candidate for mayor who received the largest vote overrides the public choice for the place and it also places the leadership of mayor in the hands of a person who is" opposed to the legislative and administrative program which the majority of the voters had declared iu favor of at the polls. This amendment only provides for the selec tion of the mayor direct, I am willing to have the amendment to the charter broadened so as to enable the voters to vote direct for the head of each department but this petition only pro vides for the voting direct for the mayor, and the petitioners request that this amendment to tho charter . be submitted at the general election known as the state primary election to be held July 18, 1922. It was only necessary to secure the signatures of about one thousand registered voters to re quire this amendment to the charter to be sub mitted at the time indicated above but this peti tion contains the signatures oi upwards of four thousand registered voters, which is not only enough to require the election called but is con siderably more than half as many voters as the entire vote cast at the last regular city election. I do not believe any member of this council or any considerable number of the voters of Lincoln are opposed to permitting the public to select their mayor by direct vote, and I do not believe that any member of the council or any considerable number of citizens will oppose the submission of this amendment at the coming primary election so that the people will have an opportunity to vote on this amendment to the charter at this time. Attorney General Daugherty is defending against a number of nasty charges by claiming that these attacks are in tho interests of the war profiteers whom he has announced his intention of prosecuting. The character of the Democratic senators who have said very plain things about the attorney general does not justify the state ment. Here in Nebraska -Mr. Daugherty has but very few friends. Daugherty defended the par don of a Nebraska bankwrecker who was left in prison but forty-four days after the govern ment had fought for seven years to get him in side, and when those familiar with the case chal lenged his statements and demanded his author ity he refused not only tp reply, but declined to allow the representatives of the state to examine the papers upon which he based his recom mendation for pardon. , 1 "ji " The Senate has named a committee to investi ate why the price of gasoline has been steadily rising in the face of a largely increased reservo supply, it does not, of course, require a Senato inv.estigation to understand why a monopoly can fix its own price, but there are a number of senatorsstanding for re-election this fall and there are several million automobile owner voters interested in lower prices for gasoline. P ' m n mi It wouldn't she a bad idea for the administra tion to wait until after the congressional pri maries have been held in the various states be fore appointing all of the special attorneys to conduct the war fraud prosecutions. Tno chances are that those primaries will greatly increase the lame duck supply and thus nialce necessary the employment of ah additional num ber of investigators. . . iWf- V ""V A"awW,'ii a -r t A