Jl
Conservative.
T h o O in a h a
AN IMPERIAL
LUNATIC. World-Herald has
been devoting a
great denl of its editorial space to the
Des Moincs Globe. It is reliably re
ported that Editor Ohavennea of the
Globe was but recently released from
the asylum for the insane at Mount
Pleasant. His lunacy establishes his
competency to debate with the World-
Herald.
Much has been
BRYAN THIS
. Faid about Mr.
SOLUI12K.
Br yau 'a resigna
tion from the army when his regiment
was ordered to depart from the peaceful
environment of the camp of iustrnctiou
at Jacksonville , to undergo the hard
ships of real soldiers in hostile Cuban
territory. The hero of many bloodless
campaigns before the camera has been
caustically criticised for deserting his
command upon the eve of their em
barkation for the enemy's country.
Many , who were thoroughly charmed
and completely awed by that fearless
courage and heroic bravery character
istic of his invasion of "the enemy's"
country in 1896 , were painfully sur
prised and inconsolably grieved at his
reluctance in 1898. Those , however ,
who were familiar with the manner in
which Bryan got in the army were not
surprised at the way ho got out.
THE CONSERVATIVE will relate briefly
the beginnings of Mr. Bryan's military
career , the manner
Not an Ordinary
in which he
Soldier. organ
ized his regiment ,
the third Nebraska. Mr. Bryan was no
ordinary soldier. He did not enlist in
the usual manner. It required a special
dispensation on the part of a populist
executive to enable this newly incubated
opponent of militarism to become a part
of Uncle Sam's fighting force. Before
Mr. Bryan was seized with this over
powering impulse to defend his coun
try's honor , a number of his fellow citi
zens had gone quietly to work and ,
under the advice and direction of Gov
ernor Holcomb , organized a regiment.
It was composed of the very flower of
the young manhood of the state , the
boys who had put in years of patient
toil acquiring a thorough military as
well as academic training , at the mili
tary department of our state university.
This regiment was accepted by the
governor , tendered to the war depart
ment and promised recognition , if
additional men were needed from
Nebraska. It was known as the heavy
artillery regiment.
Unhappily for the triumph of the
military ambitions of those young men ,
a military despotism
A Military Despotism.
potism prevailed
in Nebraska at that time. The despot
was Bryan. Czar Bryan , that he might
organize a regiment , become a colonel ,
and reward fawning friends , compelled
the governor to set aside this regiment
and take one that ho should organize.
This imperial dictation of the czar of
populism was , quite naturally , deeply
resented by the young men who had
been victimized by him. The story of
Bryan's betrayal of these men , forms an
interesting chapter in the political and
military history of Nebraska. It can
best bo told in the language of the boys
themselves. A committee representing
the regiment under date of June 15th ,
1898 , issued a statement setting forth
Bryan's perfidy. This committee was
composed of five well known Nebraskans -
kans , all graduates of the University of
Nebraska. It is true they are not men
of great affluence politically in their
respective communities , but they are all
men of strict integrity and possessed of a
high sense of personal honor , qualities
little known and still less esteemed by
Bryanarchistio leaders. The members
of this committee wore S. H. Martin ,
superintendent of schools at DeWitt ,
Nebraska ; W. D. Reed , realestate
broker , Omaha , Nebraska ; J. B. Barnes ,
Jr. , principal of high school , Norfolk ,
Nebraska ; O. E. Adams , Jr. , banker ,
Superior , Nebraska ; and E. O. Elliott ,
superintendent of schools , Leadville ,
Colorado.
Those who know these men accept
their statement without question. It
„ . . _ . . . . . proves itself. It
Protest of Committee , -f
is as follows :
"It was decided to try for the heavy
artillery arm of the service because the
officers of the regiment were not only
especially competent as infantry , but in
addition were experienced in light
artillery , both essential qualifications
for heavy artillerymen. This would
indicate to the war department that
Nebraska could furnish a regiment
capable of being used not only as
infantry , but also as heavy artillery. It
did not occur to the members of the regi
ment that they would be discredited as
infantry because they know something
about light artillery any more than a
mathematician would bo debarred as a
teacher of elementary mathematics ,
because he knew something about higher
mathematics too. Nor could such a
construction be conceivable among men
acquainted with military organization.
"At a meeting of the officers of the
regiment , held in the executive chamber
of the state capi-
Governor Approves. , , . . . 0 f.
tal , April 80th ,
1898 , the governor expressed his entire
approval of the merit of the organiza
tion and its efficiency from a military
point of view , and stated there remained
only one question to be determined
before making a tender of the regiment
to the war department. He first wished
to satidfy himself that the regiment
represented all sections of the state and
requested certain information as to the
manner in which the companies were
being raised and their location. This
information was supplied and he then
accepted the organization and tendered
it to the war department in language
that could not be misunderstood. This
shows his complete satisfaction with the
geographical location of companies and
makes it impossible for him to raise
objections in regard to that point now.
"It might bo permissible to mention
another event which occurred the same
, , . , day as the above
Bryan Pledges
Support. mentioned meet
ing of officers
This may assist in throwing some light
upon the recognition accorded the regi
ment by the governor and the gentleman
( Bryan ) who is now at the head of the
third Nebraska. The officers of the
artillery regiment thought it but fitting
that they should tender a banquet to
Captain Dudley , their prospective colonel
nel , who was then in the city. Mr. Bryan ,
Governor Holcomb , Adjutant-general
Barry , Colonel Stotsonburg and Briga
dier-general Bills , were guests of the
regiment on this occasion. Mr. Bryan
was invited to act as toastmaster. In
the presence of forty assembled guests
he drank to the health of the regiment ,
and in a felicitous speech brought joy
to the young aspirants for military
honors by saying , 'While I haven't as
much influence with the present admin
istration as I had hoped to have , I will
do what I can for you. ' Those present
could only place one construction upon
this remark and others made voluntarily
by the same gentleman , and that was
that his friendship for the regiment and
his interest in its success were sincere.
Why should they have been so unkind ,
so uncharitable , to a fellow citizen , as to
harbor the thought for a moment that
he was not sincere and that he was not
truly anxious for the recognition of their
organization ?
"Although a majority of the officers
of the regiment differed with Mr. Bryan
. , , politically , their
A Colonel , Would Be.L , , .
personal friend
ship was attested by the fact that they
not only invited him to be present at their
banquet , but also agreed to tender him.
the lieutenant colonelcy of the regiment ,
which they did about a week later. Mr.
Bryan , in response to the request that he
accept the lieutenant colonelcy , stated
that he did not like heavy artillery ,
because of the terrific noise which was
apt to produce deafness. It was ex
plained to him that the regiment was
essentially infantry and that there was
every reason to believe that if called it
would be for that branch of the service.
He then said that if he went as infantry
he would just as leave be colonel as
lieutenant-colonel , and ho was going to
organize a regiment of his own.
"Governor Holcomb was then inter
viewed to find out what effect the pros-
, . , , peotivo regiment
r. . _
Governor Yields . . . . .
To Bryan. wlth Bry n &t its
head would have
on the heavy artillery regiment and if
he would hold to the promise