XAItCH 13, 190S
The Commoner.
5
Nebraska Democratic State Convention
The Nebraska democratic state convention
met in the great auditorium at Omaha at 2
o'clock in tho afternoon, March 5. It was gen
erally agreed that the convention was the largest
in the history of the state. II. H. Hanks of
Nebraska City was choson temporary and per
manent chairman. C. H. "Whitney of Cedar
county was chosen temporary secretary, and Dan
Horrigan of Douglas county was chosen assist
ant secretary.
The delegates at largo were elected as fol
lows: Mayor P. W. Brown, Lincoln; I. J. Dunn,
Omaha; Dan V. Stephens, Fremont; Flix J.
Hale, Atkinson.
Alternates for the delegates at large were
chosen as follows: Robert Graham, Alliance;
J. R. Cory, Hastings; Harry B. Hayward,
Omaha; George Brophy, Polk county.
District delegates were as follows:
First District Delegates John H. Moore
head, Falls City; Monroe T. Connor, Auburn.
First District Alternates John K. Hen
ninger, Pawnee City; George Warren, Tecumseh.
Second District Delegates George Rogers,
Omaha; Dr. "W. J. McCrann, South Omaha.
Second District Alternates Thomas F.
Kelly, Washington County; J. A. Peterson,
Sarpy County.
Third District Delegates William A. Smith,
Beemer; Phil H. Kohl, Wayne.
Third District Alternates James Hughes,
Schuyler; B. N. Saunders, Creighton.
Fourth District Delegates J. P. Gerke,
Seward; Bartholomew Koehler, Geneva.
Fourth District Alternates Charles Krum
bach, Shelby; John Byrnes, Hebron.
Fifth District Delegates C. B. Harmon,
Holdrege; B. F. Scroggin, Oak.
Fifth District Alternates R. S. Logan,
Stockville; James Bell, Franklin.
Sixth District Delegates Andrew M. Mor
rissey, Valentine; James R. Swayne, Ord.
Sixth District Alternates Joseph Ober
f elder, Sidney; A. I. Woodsum, Lexington.
Resolutions of instruction were adopted as
follows:
The democratic party of Nebraska again de
clares confidence in and admiration for William
J. Bryan. In him we behold the ideal American
citizen the ideal democrat. Wo rejoice that
the principles which he has so ably advocated
have been gladly received and are now generally
accepted by the American people.
Resolved, That the delegates by this con
vention chosen, bo and they are hereby instruct
ed to vote as a unit for the nomination of Mr.
Bryan for tho presidency.
The correspondent for the Lincoln, Neb.,
Journal says:
Raymond P. Robbins of Chicago addressed
the convention and the large audience which had
gathered 'in the galleries, saying in part: "The
Issue in American politics today is the great
Btruggle between the group of plunderers on the
one hand and the group who toil on the other.
The real issue is between the people who work
and do not get a living and the people who
get a living and do not work."
Mr. Robbins then paid a glowing tribute
to the character and work of William J. Bryan,
Baying: "The Issue confronting us today has
slowly widened and deepened -for twelve years
until it is now squarely presented to tho people
by Mr. Bryan. He came to us a man without
great wealth or position and his only reputa
tion was his honest character. On that he has
won the hearts of the people and they will this
fall elect him to the higtiest office in the gift of
the nation."
Mr. Robbins then took up and discussed
economic conditions.
"The soup wagon has succeeded the pros
perity wagon in this country," he said, "and
this under a republican administration, when we
have been taught that panics occurred only un
der democratic administrations."
Arthur Mullen of O'Neill, president of the
Bryan volunteers, spoke for the extension of
that organization. He declared that twenty
seven counties had no organization; seven judi
cial districts had no candidate in the field at the
last election; five counties had no county ticket.
Funds, said he, were needed to carry on the
campaign, and he asked all delegates to come
to headquarters and sign up.
Dr. P. L. Hall oi Lincoln was unanimously
chosen as the Nebraska member of the national
committee.
At the evening session following Mr.
Robbins' speech Mr. Bryan addressed tho con
vention, the great auditorium building boing
filled with visitors.
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MR. BRYAN'S ADDRESS AT OMAHA
In his speech before tho Nebrnska demo
cratic state convention at Omaha, Mr. Bryan
entitled his speech "A Word of Encouragement,"
and dovoted his remarks to tho producing of
evidence to show the growth of democratic pol
icies and principles and the basis for democratic
hope. He spoke in part as follows:
"Our trouble used to be to persuade tho re
publicans to accept democratic policies; our
work now is to expose the imitation by them of
democratic ideas and to point out wherein they
come short in their effort to appropriate demo
cratic doctrines.
"Take, for instance, tho trust question; wo
had difficulty convincing tho republicans that
there were trusts. Now they admit trusts exist;
wo had difficulty convincing them the criminal
law should be enforced against trusts; now thoy
admit it should be enforced, but fail to enforce
it. Insofar as they have acted against tho
trusts at all they have acted along tho lines
laid down by the democrats, but tho trust mag
nates are still at large, the trusts are still flour
ishing, and even the supporters of Mr. Taft have
no specific remedies to offer for relief, and trusts
arise while republicans are boasting of their
crusade against them. They propose regulation
of monopolies instead of extermination, although
they have reason to know that regulation has
failed and that any one of a number of trusts
can afford to contribute ten times as much to
a campaign fund as can bo collected from all
the voters who are outside the privileged circles.
"On the tariff question the republican lead
ers now admit that tariff reform is necessary,
but a careful reading of their promises show that
they use language identical with that employed
in former platforms which have been the basis
for the present extortionate rates. Tho advo
cates of the McKinley tariff and of the Dingley
tariff never asked for more than enough to
cover tho difference in tho cost of labor hero
and abroad, but under tho pretense of protect
ing labor they built up tho present oppressive
schedules. What reason have we to believe their
promises are worth any more now than thoy
have been In the past twenty years. Surely tho
people will not trust tariff reform to those who
have stubbornly refused to reduce tariff rates
when they had full power to do so, and then
ask to be returned to power that they may do
what they Bhould have done long ago.
"The republicans now admit that railroad
regulation has been needed, and yet for ten
years the republican party allowed itself to be
overawed by tho railroad lobby at Washington
and having, with the aid of the democrats, se
cured a little relief, the republican leaders now
rely upon what has been done, and outline no
program for further legislation. The republi
can leaders have watched a few railroad mag
nates strangle competition and combine great
systems into greater ones, without raising a
hand for the protection of the public, and now
they ask for another lease of power as a reward
for their inaction.
"Under republican rule the relations be
tween capital and lator have become more and
more strained, and yet the republican leaders
resist each attempt to bring employers and em
ployes into more harmonious relations.
"The Philippine question presents another
instance of gross mismanagement. Instead of
applying American Ideas to the Philippine ques
tion, the republican leaders imitated tho em
pires of the old world and entered upon a
colonial policy which has involved us in enor
mous expense, brought us weakness instead of
strength, and humiliation instead of glory.
"Tho present financial stringency Is an
other illustration of republican Incompetency.
In the full possession of power, it has allowed
the country to be run by Wall Street financiers
and in the crisis is impotent to do more than
furnish money out of the public treasury to
support the market. It has made no effort to
stop gambling the fruitful cause of panics
it has made no effort to furnish government
notes for an emergency and it has made no effort
to protect depositors. While it demands se
curity for government funds when deposited
with banks, it has left the individual depositor
to risk his scanty savings without protect ion
against mismanagement by bank officials.
"Tho republicans admit that something
must bo done and they know not how to pro
ceed. Thoy aro so convinced that tho pres
ent conditions aro deplorable that they applaud
tho president's last message which was an in
dictment of republican misrule, for all abuses
of which ho complained are traceable to repub
lican legislation or lack of legislation.
"Tho domocrats face the future with hopo
and their hope rests on a firm foundation. Dem
ocratic policies lirvo grown in popularity as tho
voters have become better acquainted with tho
evils to bo remedied. Tho domocrats have been
looking at public questions from the standpoint
of all tho people, wh.lo republican louder have
been looking at them from a standpoint of a
few. As tho strength of a party must in tho
long run bo measured by the strength of its
principles, domocrats have reason to believe that
their prospects of success have been greatly in
creased by tho widespread acceptance of demo
cratic remedies.
"Another reason for hope is to be found In
the fact that the democratic party is united,
whilo the republican party is divided, and tho
reunion of the democratic party is duo to the
same causes that havo brought division into the
republican ranks. The country has moved for
ward toward positive and aggressive resistance
to tho encroachments of predatory wealth, and
thlB growth has brought tho rear ranks of tho
democratic party up to tho firing line, whllo It
has separated tho republican reformers from tho
republican standpatters. The fight for supre
macy in the republican party Is a bitter ono,
and whichever side wins tho other side will bo
disgruntled. As the republicans unod one fac
tion of tho democratic party to defeat us in
I89G, we shall return tho compliment this year
and uso one part of the republican party to
defeat the other, for it is so hopelessly divided
that it can not bo trusted to do anything at
present.
"The third causo for hopo is to bo found
in the moral awakening. Never within a gen
oration has there been such a stirring of con
science, and the sense of justice inherent in tho
people has boon made sensitive to the demo
cratic appeal, which Is essentially an appeal for
justice. The domocratic party has boon doing
pioneer work and now It will enjoy the grati
tude and tho appreciation showered upon tho
pioneer when the character of his work is fully
understood."
S W W W
NEBRASKA POPULIST CONVENTION
The Nebraska populist state convention met
at Omaha March 5. The following report Is
taken from the Omaha World-Herald:
With the largest crowd of delegates at any
of the party conventions for four years the pop
ulist state convention was called to order in
Washington hall at 2 o'clock yesterday by State
Chairman Manuel, with Secretary Walrath of
the committee acting as secretary of the meeting.
E. E. Thomas of Omaha was made tem
porary chairman, and this committee on plat
form and resolutions was appointed: Thomas
H. Tibbies of Omaha, chairman; J. S. Canady of
Kearney county, W. B. Jones of Polk, Fred
Sheppard of Lancaster and Orin Reed of Keith
county.
While the platform committee was con
fering short speeches were made by State Chair
man Manuel, Elmer E. Thomas of Omaha, Wal
rath of Osceola, T. H. Tibbies of Omaha and a
number of others, long set speeches being
barred.
Before the convention was called to order
State Chairman Manuel in an Interview, said:
"This is the largest convention tho popu
lists have had for many years. Practically
every county in the state, with the exception of
a few of the far western tier, is represented.
Some have only one delegate here, while from
other counties there are as many as a dozen
or more.
"In a private meeting this morning there
were 122 delegates present. Everything dono
there was Informal. We just talked over the
situation and, of course, took no action."
The committee reported the following reso
lutions which were presented to the convention:
Your committee appointed in caucus to pre
sent resolutions to the convention of the people's
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