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The Commoner
MAY, 1916
13'
The Nebraska Primary Election
Comments from the State Press on the Results of the April Contest
AFTER THE PRIMARY
Progressive democracy went down
to defeat. The democratic party of Nebraska
has been turned over to the reactionary inter
ests. It is up to those who now have possession
to sufficiently interest the people to win at the
November election. It will be a Hard job.
Frankly, we consider it an empty victory. Not
because progressive democrats will try to
wreak revenge, but because there Is nothing
left in the democratic party worth lighting for
when you take out of it those things which we
refer tp as "progressive democracy."
Turn back to the democratic party in Nebras
ka before Bryan, and it wasn't much of a party
and it didn't deserve to be. It was merely a
protest. It never went forward; it never pro
posed any reforms in government; it did not
set itself up against special privilege or selfish
interests it merely opposed the republicans,
criticizing but offering nothing.
Then one day the democratic party was re
vived and made a real party. Following the
wave of populism that swept the nation, the
democratic party of Nebraska became a real
party, and thousands of independent voters
flocked to it and it became a power in the land.
But it has started on the return track and it is
with sorrow and not with anger that the Jour
nal witnesses that backward flight.
IVhat is the democratic party of today in
Kansas? There Is none. In that state, when
the populists left the party, there was no longer
any division between democrats and republicans
but only between progressive republicans and
standpat republicans. The democrats are a poor
third in Kansas, and when Bryan and the pro
gressive principles which he stands for are taken
out of the democratic party in Nebraska, the
same situation will prevail here.
In the language of the street, the democratic
party in Nebraska, with Bryan left out, won't
get to first base. It is painful to contemplate but
it is so plainly apparent that it might as well be
faced now as later.
A great many democrats may sorrowfully vote
their ticket, but they will do It without enthusi
asm, without hope, without spirit, with a feeling
that nothing worth while is being accomplished.
Nevertheless, progressive democracy is not
dead. In the minds of hundreds of voters,
some who call themselves democrats, some who
have been known by other names, there is firmly
fixed the true principles of government of the
pepple, for the people. and by the people, as op
posed to government of the interests, for the
interests and by the interests. It may be several
years and it may be but a few months until
those who have these principles fixed in their
minds will rally shoulder to shoulder in defense
of those principles.
These warlike times, the wet and dry issue,"
the unrest and jealousies of the day have split
the democratic party of Nebraska into fragments
but there still exists a love for true democratic
principles which will yet in some manner find
expression and force. Such is our hope. Fair
bury Journal.
AS TO BRYAN'S DEFEAT
M. D. Tyler says he has seen more happy
democrats since the defeat of W. J. Bryan than
ever before in his life. "The Press has been
coming in for more than its share of "jollying"
as a result of that defeat, we folks being pretty
well identified with the interests of the great
Commoner. We love Bryan no less today than
we did in the years gone by. His glory is no
more dim, his power no less great. His enemies
choose to translate his defeat as a repudiation
of the first Nebraskan and his policies, but long,
long after those enemies and their attempts to
belittle Bryan are forgotten he and his policies
will brighten history's pages.
Mr. Bryan attempted a herculean task, that
of dry cleaning the democratic party. He
worked manfully, but we could never see where
he could hope to win. Primarily, we feel it is
to Nebraska democracy's discredit that Bryan
shall not head the delegation from this state at
the St. liouis convention. Without Bryan, just
What would democracy be In Nebraska today?
Without Bryan where would Wilson bo? Bryan
is the man who made Wilson and democratic
success Bryan drafted and originated most of
the progressive policies of the party, and it
would seem to us that the party, state and na
tionally, loses much in not having his counsel
and influence as a delegate when the next great
convention gathers. But Mr. Bryan will be at
St. Louis, and no man elected as a delcgato from
this or any other state shall have the following
that will he. Bryan is greater today in defeat
than his enemies in their victory. Norfolk
Press.
WARNING TO NEBRASKA DEMOCRATS
This paper wants to see democrats successful
in Nebraska this fall, and in order to bo success
ful wo have got to face some issues. We have
got to get past the idea that he who advocates
the liquor interests is going to get the most
votes in Nebraska. Let's face the cold facts.
The democratic party can not win this fall by
catering to the wot element. We say this be
cause we want to see the party win in November
and not whether we are for or against the Is
sue. A little investigating will reveal that the
democrats in Idaho lined up with the wets, the
republicans with the dry, and the republicans
won. In Colorado the same thing took place.
Democrats there took sides with the wet issuo
and the republicans with the drys, and the re
sult is a republican governor for Colorado. In
Ohio and" Indiana almost similar results have
been the case with the democrats losing heavily.
Over in Iowa the democratic party has been
championing the wet side, and the result is that
the democrats in that state feel highly elated
if they can elect a road overseer. We could go
on by naming more states with similar results.
Now it is a question whether the democrats real
ly want to win this fall, or lose. Not whether
you are against the amendment, but whether
you want the democrats to win. The republican
party in Nebraska, judging from the primary
election, is about two-thirds or better dry, while
the democratic party is about two-thirds wet.
Normally this state is from ten to fifteen thou
sand republican. We are working for democratic
success this fall and want no more obstacles in
the way than possible. Ij the state convention
which convenes at Hastings going to go on rec
ord as lining up against the amendment?
Sherman County Times-Independent.
LAUGHING TOO EARLY
While some of the brethren aro endeavoring
to. make much ado about W. J. Bryan's terrible
mistakes in the recent campaign, we can not see
it in that light. Bryan made no mistake. Ap
parently on the face of the returns it is shown
that he was defeated as a delegate to the na
tional convention. But what of that? Out of
defeat has come some of the greatest victories
the world has ever known, and out of apparent
defeat will eventually grow a victory of great
moment. And those who have been branding
Bryan sorely because he refused to acquiesce in
the demands of the liquor interests of Nebraska,
will soon be aroused again because this same
man refuses to stand hitched to their beer sign
when the real campaign is on in earnest. Bryan
may not have had the best of opportunity to
exert his influence in a shut-up-tight primary
campaign, but see how .the beer signs wobble
when the open-ballot-campaign is placed In the
hands of -tfre voters of Nebraska. Then It will
bo more plainly seen who wins the victory and
who is the victor. The practice is dangerous to
laugh before the joke in the story is reached.
Kearney Democrat.
NOT THE RIGHT WAY
Some of the democratic newspapers which
so brutally opposed W. J. and C. W. Bryan in
the late primary campaign are now acting as if
the democratic state ticket will not need the
help of the Bryan boys in November.
That is some mistake, brethren. We can elect
the state ticket all right, from governor to the
bottom, if wo employ horse sense. We must all
remember that the late primary caused some
sore spots which will not heal In a minute. You
fellows on tho other sldo must remember that
you shot some pretty nasty torpedoes at the
Bryan ship, and you ought to have sonso enough
to quit shooting after the primary.
The Bryans will support tho state ticket all
right, because tho record reads that no Bryan
ever refused to support a democratic nominee,
save only whon the nomlnco plainly said he did
not want their support. Wo do not know any
nominee who is saying ho doesn't want Bryan
support In tho coming campaign, but some of
tho anti-Bryan newspapers appear very much In
tho attitude of trying to drive the Bryan vote
away from tho ticket.
This ought to be a democratic year In Ne
braska, and It will bo a democratic year if the
anti-Bryan newspapers will only give the Bryan
boys half a chance- to help tho ticket. Colum
bus Telegram.
A FIGHT FOR GOOD GOVERNMENT
This fight in Nebraska within the democratic
ranks, is something more than a contest between
men. It means more than tho political life or
death of Individuals. It is a fight for good gov
ernment and good men to administer that gov
ernment. It is a fight to establish ourselves up
on the side of all those things that tend to the
upbuilding of society and home. That is what
the flght within the ranks of democracy means
nt this time, and it is a flght worth fighting.
The late primary contest was a contest between
tho forces that stood for good government and
tho forces that Ftood for unbridled license; be
tween those who revered strong, robust man
hood and womanhood and those who care but
little for the perpetuation and elevation of tholr
own race, between those who believed in a dem
ocratic faith founded upon a cltldal of integrity,
sobriety and uprightness, and those who would
trail tho party's standard mid tho spawn of
hell's own corruption and tho wreckage of mis
spent life. Stripped of all Its verbiage that
was tho Issue in tho democratic and republican
primaries. So far as tho democratic party is
concerned, its members went on record as op
posing the higher and nobler attributes of the
race and turned tho hands upon tho clock of
democratic life back. Tho republican party,
speaking through Its membership, declared for
sweeping progress in Its relation to a vital ques
tion that touches both state and home. It de
clared that the hands of the organized liquor
forces could not touch Its garments with Its
contaminating touch. That it wished to be freo
to serve the people and not the special Interests
that always work in conjunction with tho or
ganized liquor crowd. To fortify themselves
they nominated a candidate for governor and for
United States senator who are free men. Men
who owe nothing to the special Interest gang nor
to their allies tho organized liquor crowd. In
deed they stand clean handed from their pollut
ing touch. Not so with the democratic party. It
nominated a man both for United States senator
and governor who owe their nomination to the
liquor forces and the special interest crowd. In
deed, they would not have been nominated at all
had they not been the beneficiaries of such a
vote. It Is hard to conceive that tho republican
nominees will not serve those who nominated
them. It is equally hard to conceive that the
democratic nominees will not serve the interests
that nominated them. The question then comes:
Whose Interest do the people want served theirs
or the interests of the special Interest crowd un
der the guise of tho breweries, the stockyards,
tho telephone trust and the insurance combine?
Under the leadership of Mr. Bryan, thousands of
democrats wanted the democratic party to stand
right whore the republican party is now stand
ing In Its relation to these special inrorest var
mints. It was not thp will of the party, and
Mr. Bryan was disbarred from the party council.
Today it marches forth candidates nominated for
high position bound and bounden to the services
of their masters. Nebraska democrats will bo
asked to ratify the selection before the final
court of approval. Will they approve? Will they
declare themselves favorable to any such a de
bauchment of the party 'as they have already
witnessed? Will tho Bryan democrats of fhe
State who have witnessed the humiliation of Mr.
Bryan by an alliance of special interest servers
and wet goods venders o. k. the compact? We
think not, We think the parting of the way Is
at hand. The dividing line is clean cut. The
Issue is a grave and important one not easily
compromised with honor, or else there woiild
not now be the humiliating aspect of Nebraska'!
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