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The Commoner.
WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
VOL. 12, NO. 12,
Lincoln, Nebraska, March 29, 1912
Whole Number 584
A CLEAR-CUT ISSUE
The democrats of Nebraska will have an opportunity to decide
the issue raised-by Mr. Hitchcock against Mr. Bryan. Mr. Hitch
cock announces that his FIRST CHOICE for the presidential nomi
nation is Governor Harmon of Ohio, but that he will support either
Mr. Wilson or Mr. Clark if so instructed by the democratic voters
at the primaries. Mr. Bryan has stated, as between Mr. Wilson
and Mr. Clark he does not care to express a preference, regarding
them both as progressive, and that he will be glad to vote in the
convention for either if instructed to do so by the democrats at the
primaries, but that, believing that Mr. Harmon is a reactionary
whose nomination, if secured at all, will be secured by Wall street
influences, he is not willing to be a party to his nomination. Mr.
Bryan announces that, if elected a delegate, he will resign his com
mission and refuse to serve if Mr. Harmon receives a plurality at
the primaries. If the question of instructions were determined be
fore the election of delegates and determined in favor of Mr. Har
mon, Mr. Bryan would not be a candidate for delegate, but he has
no way of knowing, until the delegates are elected, vhat the wishes
of the Nebraska democrats may be in regard to the candidate.
Mr. Hitchcock, in an editorial which will be found on another
page, criticises the position taken by Mr. Bryan, his conclusion being
summed up in the following sentence: "If Mr. Bryan is not willing
to promise to abide by'the instructions of the democrats of Nebraska,
he ought not to be a candidate." Mr. Bryan's answer is that he
believes in keeping the spirit of the law as well as the letter. No
man ought to attempt to speak.f or the democracy of Nebraska unless
he can carry out the spirit as well as the letter of their instructions.
If the democracy of Nebraska favors Mr. Harmon, it ought to be
represented by delegates who can support Mr. Harmon not only
conscientiously but with 'enthusiasm. Mr. Bryan can not support
him in the convention on any conditions or under any circumstances
and he would forfeit the confidence and respect of the friends with
whom he has labored for "nearly two decades if, believing as he does,
that Mr. Harmon is a reactionary and the choice of the predatory
interests of the country for the democratic nomination if, believ
ing this, he were willing to surrender his convictions for the honor
of being a delegate to the national convention. This is Mr. Bryan's
position, and he contends that he is showing more respect for the
democracy of Nebraska than Mr. Hitchcock is.
Mr. Hitchcock knows as well as Mr. Bryan does that the democ
racy of Nebraska is progressive, but he is not only willing, but
anxious, to misrepresent the democracy of this state in the matter of
the presidential nomination. He is endeavoring to prevent 'any co
operation between the two progressive candidates Mr. Wilson and
Mr. Clark with a view to securing, not a majority, but a plurality
for Mr. Harmon, and if he can do this, he will go to Baltimore and
ally himself with the plutocratic influences that are attempting to
force Mr. Harmon upon the party.
The democracy of Nebraska can -not instruct Mr. Hitchcock as
to a platform ; if Mr. Hitchcock is elected a delegate and can secure
the election of men like himself, he can help to write a platform
Which will assassinate our party in advance and make it impossible
for even a progressive to win. Not only that, but if the person in
structed for, however progressive he may be, can not be nominated,
Mr. Hitchock will be released from further instructions and can then
use his influence as a delegate to foist upon the party any reactionary
who may be nominated, with his aid, regardless of the wishes of the
democrats of Nebraska. In other words, he asks to be permitted to
misrepresent the democracy of the state and to help surrender the
party to the interests that have defeated the party in three cam
paigns by opposing the democratic ticket and, in a fourth campaign,
defeated the party still more disastrously by controlling the organi
zation and leading the fight.
Mr. Bryan invites the democrats of the state to decide between
his position and the position taken by Mr. Hitchcock. Mr. Bryan
will, if the democrats wish it, represent them as a delegate, PRO
VIDED he can carry out their instructions in spirit as well as in
letter. If he can not do so not being able to know in advance of
his election he will resign his commission and leave the represen
tation to others who can give voice to the party's wishes as expressed
at the primaries.
Mr. Hitchcock, on the contrary, has so little interest in the democ
racy of Nebraska and such a contempt for its wishes that in order to
enjoy the distinction of being a delegate he is willing to betray them
into the hands of their enemies. If the democrats instruct for a pro
gressive, they are entitled to progressives to represent them. If the
rule of the people means anything, it means that those who speak
for the people should say what the people want said and do what the
people want done. Mr. Hitchcock does not deny the right of a rep
resentative in any legislative body to resign rather than act against
his conscience and his judgment, and he would not take the absurd
position that he now does if he could act upon this subject a3 an
abstract proposition without bias or personal feeling.
PKOGKISSSIVES SHOULD ACT TOGETHER
Mr. Bryan is in no way responsible for the
resolution adopted by Nebraska progressive
democrats indorsing the candidacy of Governor
Wilson. He does not know in what proportion
the progressives of Nebraska are divided bo
tween Wilson and Clark. He is in favor of co
operation between progressives against tho re
actionaries, not only in Nebraska but in every
state. The division of delegates should bo in
proportion to the relative strength of the candi
dates neither, candidate can ask more but no
Progressive should allow friendship for any par
ticular candidate to lead him to jeopardize tho
Party's Welfare, Wq have a primary in x Nej i
braskaj and a . PLURALITY efqctf delegatejy
Suppose i iaixtiy thousand votes are cast and
'Govennor Harnion , has t twentyj-pftOM.tM0?-0?""
while Wilson and Clark have nineteen each -a
reactionary vote of a little more than one
third would defeat a progressive majority or
nearly two-thirds. Why should progressives
permit this? If Harmon and one progressive
are near together a small vote for another
might give a minority an advantage oyer the
progressive majority. This should not be per
mitted. Mr. Bryan is not, he repeats, prepared to say
at this time which progressive has the largest
following in Nebraska. If, before the primary,
he is convinced that either Mr. Wilson or Mr
Clark is menacing progressive success he will
favor the stronger as against the weaker as the
means of defeating the reactionaries. And he
will pursue tho same course in other states,
whither it requires him to oppose Wilson or
Justin proportion as Wilson and 'Clark
are progressive they will prefer each the other,
are p obao w ,, BtreeL progres
sives should act together everywhere.
,
THE ILLINOIS SITUATION
Illinois is about to elect delegates to the demo
cratic national convention and these delegates
will select a new national committeeman. The
state of Illinois has been unfortunate for somo
years in having as her representative on tho
national committee a man whose connection with
the committee does tho party more harm than
any labor of his can overcome. Roger Sullivan
stands for a kind of democracy that is passing
ho represents tho old regime under which
the predatory interests supplied tho campaign
funds and got tho money back out of tho
pockets of the people through special privilege.
He can not adjust himself to the new order of
things, any more than a leopard can change its
spots. No matter how well meaning his demo
cratic, friends may think him, isipresenceron tho
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