Conservative. i
jf
H i
ho made in the presonoo of four citi
zens of Lincoln , that if a call should
r come for more than the national guard
could supply , our regiment would be
given the preference over any other
organization of volunteers. This pledge
indicates at that time the governor con
templated using the artillery regiment
in the same branch of the service , viz ,
infantry , as that in which the national
guard was to be employed. The na
tional guard had already left the state.
In the event of a future call there would
be no more national guardsmen to
answer it and , according to previous
assurances , the artillery regiment should
come in for recognition. The governor
now made the statement that under no
" : circumstances would ho send our regi
ment under regular call. The only way
he would recommend our being taken
from the state would be under special
call , which could in no way diminish
the regular quota from. Nebraska , a
startling bit of news for the promoters
of the artillery regiment.
While it was attempted to hasten the
call for the regiment by making an
effort with the
, ,
The Tender. . , . . . . .
president to get it
out under special call , it was not
thought that this act would prejudice
its chances for recognition in the usual
manner as a part of the regular quota
for Nebraska. The tender of the regi
ment by the governor was in the follow
ing language :
'Please tender to the president Ne
braska regiment heavy artillery , now
nearly formed , commanded by Captain
Dudley , U. S. A. , whom I should be
pleased to appoint as colonel with the
president's permission , and officered by
Nebraskaus , educated at the military
department of the State University ,
would make a strong organization.
SILAS A. HOLCOHB , Governor.
' 'It does not state the manner in which
the regiment shall be called. Hence it
must be inferred that the usual method
was to be observed. This was the first
regiment of volunteers organized in this
state. It was the first to be promised
recognition , and it would be a serious
disappointment to the men enrolled if
that recognition should be denied.
Consequently realizing that the next
regiment to leave the state under the
direction of the executive , would not be
the regiment commanded by Captain
Dudley but would be a regiment with
Mr. Bryan at its head , an effort was
made tomduce Mr. Bryan to take our
regiment und be colonel of it. Mr.
Bryan said that he had a few friends
who had raised companies and he wished
to include them in his regiment and
hence would not be able to accept ours.
We then urged a compromise and
requested him to take a part of it , six
or eight companies.
"This we firmly believed ho would do.
We could not believe that one who had
, , , _ . indicated such
Bryan's Perfidy. , . ' , , . , .
friendship for our
regiment , who had stated that "while I
have not as much influence with this
administration as I had hoped to have ,
yet I will do all I can for yon , " we
could not believe that such professions
of kindly feeling were but hollow
mockery and evidence of insincerity.
Wo could not believe that in order to
gratify his own ambition he would
willingly , purposely and intentionally
thwart a similar ambition on the part of
a large number of his fellow citizens ,
especially after he himself had encour
aged them in that ambition. Imagine
our complete surprise when it became
evident that every company of the
artillery regiment outside of Lancaster
county , would be offered as a sacrifice
to a man whom the state of Nebraska
had already generously treated , who had
been the recipient of special favors and
kindnesses at the hands of the young
men of the state and of this organiza
tion of young men into the very vitals
of which he now struck a death blow by
inserting the stiletto of his own
ambition.
" We wish to use this opportunity of
making an emphatic protest against the
, , , treatment that has
A Righteous Protest , , , . ,
been accorded the
trained citizen soldiery of our state by
men who place their own selfishness
above the interests of their country ,
who would place personal gain above
patriotism , who would " use mili
tary service in time of war as a means
of attracting and holding public atten
tion and rewarding political friends.
We believe that even the humblest
citizen has rights which those in au
thority should respect. We believe that
a promise once given should not be
broken. We believe that no man no
matter how great his political power and
prestige , should use that power and
prestige in destroying the rights of
others.
"We cannot be accused of any petty
personal prejudice in making this state
ment. We would not have asked one
toward whom we cherished any ill will ,
to be our guest and break bread with us
in a friendly gathering about the ban
quet board. Nor would we have asked
him to be our lieutenant-colonel. Such
compliments are not extended to
personal enemies. But our friendship
and admiration for a man will never be
so great that we will , without protest ,
make an absolute and unconditional
surrender of everything to him. Nor
would he who is a worthy friend
demand it.
"Respectfully submitted ,
S. H. MARTIN , O. E. ADAMS , JR. ,
W. D. REED , E. O. ELLIOTT ,
J. B. BARNES. "
So intense was the feeling aroused
against the peerless exponent of popu
_ , . , _ _ . , lism that when
Defeated For Captain. , , . .
he announced his
ambition to bo captain of the Lincoln
company of his regiment , his candi
dature met witli strong and determined
opposition among the members of the
company. Because of this and fearful
of the outcome , he withdrew his name
as soon as nominated , before a vote was
taken , and throw his strength to another
who was defeated and an anti-Bryan
man was elected. The result was not so
much a personal victory for the success
ful candidate as it was a stinging
rebuke to the constant candidate.
This is the "military" record of the
peerless one , with the matchless mouth ,
_ Who now SO Vigor-
Tyranny. . .
"mil
ously decrys
itarism. " This is the "imperial" history
of the self-appointed champion of
popular rights who now so uncompro
misingly denounces "imperialsm" ! .
Could there be a more oppressive tyrant
or'a more dictatorial despot than Bryan ?
It will shock the conscience and moral
sense of many to be informed of such
perfidy on the part of their sainted
leader. They will eay with the com
mittee , "we could not believe that such
professions of kindly feeling were but
hollow mockery and evidence of insin
cerity. " But the committee was forced
to believe it.
The man who thus connived to become
a colonel , aspires to be president and has
, , the audacity to
I A iu Holier ,
Than Thon. ran uPon a Phar1'
saical , "I am holier
than thou" platform. THE CONSERVA
TIVE believes in the old adage "he who
would be unfaithful in little , would be
unfaithful in much. " Ho who would
shamefully abuse the confidence of the
few , would as contemptuously disregard
the trust of the many. Mr. Bryan's be
trayal of the confidence so implicitly
and unreservedly reposed in him by
these young men , proves him unworthy
of the confidence of the American people
ple and condemns him as unfit to be
their president. It is not strange that
one with a military past like this should
abhor "militarism" . A large majority
of his fellow citizens will , in November ,
register a decisive protest against his
kind of "militarism" .
his first
THE DUTY OF THE
K"ral address ,
president Lincoln
thus defined his conception of executive
responsibility :
"The power confided to me will be
used to hold , occupy and possess the
property and places belonging to t he
government. "
As Lincoln did in 1861 , so president
MoKinley must do now. Ho must hold ,
occupy and possess the Philippines ,
property Mr. Bryan aided us to ao quire.
If Bryan was unwilling that the presi
dent hold this territory he shou Id not
have lobbied to acquire it.
