The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-10-06
NOT PREPARED ron DErENsr.

NOT PREPARED ron DEFENSE.
I In hts excellent speech before the Ma.
tional Association of Democratic Clubs az
Indianapolis on Thursday. Mr. Bryan
made ana emphasized the point that the
Republicans are not ia position 20 d.
/ ferd themselves GA sGy OF the issues 81
/ the campaign.
Being io power and responsible Tor the
policy and acts Of tho government. they
are on the defensive when that policy aud
those asEs arr assaled And they have
40 satisfyiEg and conclusive arguments TO
bring forward 10 reply 20 their stta .kcrs.
When the Trust question 10 hroacaed.
they divide. Chairman Hanna denies the
existence az trusts. under ,hc law ie
SAYS we have antitrust laws. ana if there
were trusts within the meaning 81 the
law the legal authorities would take hold
Of them. other Republican leaders point
20 the leo trust az New York. ana cay
the Democratic party IL insincere in SIS
attack upon trusts because prominent
Democrats ara. or have been. holders %
the stock az The Ncw York lco trust They
never call attention 20 tho feet though.
that the governing body OF the ice trust
Is composed Of Republicans. ana that the
prominent Democrats who have held tho
stock could probably be- counted upon TIE
fingers 81 one hand. The Democratic
party attacks the principle Of trusts. the
Republicans reply by saying that there
ara Democrats who have invested IA
ore Of them
When the question 81 imperialism g.
brought w Chairman Hanna ard his fol-
lowers point 20 Richard Croker o. New
York and call him an emperor They say
that be is on autocrat IN his sphere. aud
rules New York city AZ absolutely as the
czar OF Russia rules hts empire. suppos-
ing, for the sake 81 argument tha, this
were true-whlch IL isn't-Mr. Croker Is
rot ruling an allen people nor docs be
exercise his power without the consent Of
the governed. But tho truth g. that Air
Croker il not an issue to the national
campaign. nor can b. b. made one. mo
question Is. Shall the form Of our govern
ment b changed from thet OF republic
to that OF an empire Pointing 20 Rich
ara CrosSer's bossisn IN Now York city
does not answer the question
Gov. Roosevelt made a chara .geristic
reply" 20 the question Of multarism tn
a Western town tho other day He took
three OF four miiitiamcn 80 uniform upon
the stage with him. Az he entered upon
hts discussion OF militarism he said 20
the militiamen; "Wil you please stand
up" They did 90 There" said he 90
the crowd and pointing to the milihamen.
are your military oppressors. do they
look terrible. heartless and cruel7" They
did not. OF course. ana Col. Roosevelt evil
IDENTIFY considered the question OF miitar-
ism answered. But does that IN the
slightest manner. show that a large stand
ing army might not h. made both bur
densomo and oppressive?
And thus it Is that whenever a real f.
sue Is presented the Republicans dodge Il
or try 90 talk about something else.
When told that their policy. IL persisted
iu would undermine the foundation OF the
republic they reply. "Pshaw. Andrew
jackson himself was charged with inn
perialism." as II the unfoundcd charge
against Jackson were "a perpetual estop-
pei upon change 10 the form Of govern
ment.