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Show Former Democratic Leader Opposes Op-poses Nebraska's Candidate for Governor. OBJECTS TO HIS STAND' ON THE LIQUOR ISSUE By Inference, if Not Directly, Says Dahlman Is Liquor Men's Servant. LINCOLN, Neb., Sept. 20. In a statement state-ment in which ho declares that the crusade cru-sade which he feels impelled to wago ugalnst the liquor interests of the state and nation overshadows a personal nnd political friendship of twenty years, William Wil-liam .1. Bryan this evening announced ho had bolted the head of tho Democratic state ticket in Nebraska and would not support James C. Dahlman for governor. Mr. Rrynn says lie regrets that he Is compelled to take tho stand he docs Ills first departure from political regularity, regu-larity, but says he feols it Ills duty to do so because of tho position taken by the Democratic nominee on the liquor quostion. For County Option. Tho statement, which. In a way. is apologetic in tone, does not indicate that Mr. Bryan will support the candidate of any other party, but announces that Iip Is a pronounced advocate of county option and the early saloon closing law, both of whrch he Insists arc menaced by Mr. Dahlman's candidacy. Tho statement follows: fol-lows: "I am Just leaving for Missouri, and shall be absent practically all of the time for about a mouth campaigning in Missouri, Mis-souri, Kansas. Iowa. Indiana and Illinois. Illi-nois. After that I shall be at liberty to speak for Mr. Hitchcock, the Democratic candidate for congress, and for tho state ticket in Nebraska. "In speaking for the state ticket, however. how-ever. I shall not bo able to present any arguments in favor of tho election of Mr. Dahlman. His position on tho liquor question makes that impooslblc. I rcgrot this exceedingly, for ho has been a political po-litical nnd personal friend for twenty years, ruid It would give mc plcusuro to speak for him if 1 could Indorse tho policy pol-icy for which ho stands, but he has chosen to mnko t ho liquor question tho paramount issue and mako Ills appeal on that issue. Stand Made Clear. "In spite of the fact that the last Democratic state convention voted down a declaration against county option by a vote of Otis to l'0. he trnys that lie will veto a county option bill if passed, and in spile of the fact that the state convention con-vention indorsed tho S o'clock closing law by a vote of 710 to 163, ho announces that he will sign a bill repealing It If such a bill Is passed. "Ho is making li Is appeal on nonpartisan non-partisan lines with tho liquor question as the sole Issue. His courage is to be commended. It is an honest way of making mak-ing a campaign, although it compels him to separate himself from friends who do not agree with him and to rely for speech making upon those Democrats and Republicans who take his view of tho subject. "Possibly it is just as well to Iiavo tho issue clearly presented so that it may bo settled this year instead of two years liencc. Troublesome as the question Is now, It would be even more embarrassing If presented In 1912, when wo have a presidential election on hand. Tho Issue Defended. "If Mr. Dahlman Is elected it will bo a declaration of tho voters of the state against county option and against the 8 o'clock closing law. If ho Is defeated it will be a declaration In favor of county option and in favor of the S o'clock closing clos-ing law. In other words, the voters now have an opportunity to decide whethor the state shall go backward or forward on the liquor question. "To present arguments in favor of going go-ing backward would not only contradict what I have always said on the subject, but would embarrass mc In the light that I expect to make hereafter to save our party from the odium of being the representative repre-sentative of liquor Interests.' |