The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-09-18
His Well Known Ideas on Public
Questions Aired.
Some Remarks About
Sixteen to One.
The Neglected Income Tax
Plank-lmpefialism.

Lincoln, Neb., September 17.-Mr. Bry-
ans letter Of acceptance was given out
today. After accepting the nomination
and saying that he endorsesSthe platform.
Mr. Bryan says:
Having in my notification speech, dis
cussed somewhat at length the paramount
issue. Imperialism, and added some OBJ
servations on militarism and the Boer
war, it is sufficient at this time to re-
view the remaining planks of the plat
form"
After demonstrating the evil effects OF
trusts, he adds:
"Our platform, after suggesting GER
tain specific remedies, pledges the party
to an unceasing: warfare against pri-
vate monopoly In nation, state and city
1 heartily approve of this promise; if
elected, it shall be my earnest and con-
stant endeayor to fulfill the promise in
letter and spirit. I shall select an at
torney general who VIII, without fear or
favor, enforce existing laws; shall rec
Ommend such additional legislation as
may be necessary to dissolve every pri-
waite monopoly which does business out
side of the state of its origin; and, If
contrary to my belief and hope, a con-
stitutional amendment is found to be
necessary, 1 shall recommend such an
amendment as will, without impairing
any of the existing rights of the states.
empower Congress to protect the people
of all the states from injury at the hands
of individuals or corporations engaged
in Interstate commerce"
On the financial plank, he says:
"The platform reiterates the demand
contained in the Chicago platform for
an American financial system made by
the American people for themselves.
The purpose of such a system is to re-
store and maintain a bimetaIIic level Of
prices, and in order that there may be
no uncertainty as to the method of re-
storing bimetallism, the specific declara-
tion in favor OF free and unlimited coin
age at the existing ratio of 16 to l, in
dependent of the actions of the other ma
tions, is repeated.
'The ratio Of 16 to l is not only the
ratio now existing between all the gold
and silver dollars in circulation in this
country, a ratio which even the Re-
publican administration has not
attempted to change, but it is the only
ratio advocated by those who are seeking
to reopen the mints. Whether the SEN
ate, now hostile to bimetallism, can be
changed during this campaign or the
campaign of 1902, can only be determined
after the votes are counted, but neither
the present nor the future political COM
plexion Of Congress has prevented or
should prevent an announcement of the
partys position upon this subject in
unequivocal terms"
Mr.. Bryan then discusses the election of
senators by the people, direct legislation,
arbitration OF labor troubles, Chinese
exclusion, pensions, Nicaragua canal, de-
partment of labor and foreign alliances.
On the Monroe doctrine, he says:
''The position taken by the Rspubli-
can leaders, and more recently set forth
by the Republican candidate f,r the
Presidency, viz: "That we cannot pro-
tect a nation from outside interference
without exercising sovereignty over it's
people, is an assault upon the Monroe
doctrine, for while this argument is at
this time directed against the proposition
to give to the FlIipinos both indepen-
dence and protection, 1t is equally ap-
plicable to the Republics OF Central
and South America. If this government
cannot lend its strength to another Re
public without making subjects Of its
people, then we must either Withdraw
our protection from the Republics to the
south Of us or absorb them. There is no
excuse for this abandonment of the
American idea. We have maintained
the Monroe doctrine for three-quarters of
century. The expense to us has been
practically nothing, but the protection
has been beyond value to our sister Re-
publics. II Filipino republic Is erect
ed upon the ruins of Spanish tyranny.
It's protection by us will be neither
difficult or expensive.
by inadyertence the income tax
plank agreed upon by the Resolutions
committee, was omitted from the plat
form as read and adopted. The subject.
however, is covered by the re-atIirmation
of the Chicago platform, and | take this
occasion TO reassert my belief in the
principle which underIies our income
tax"
He devotes a paragraph to imperial
ism In closing, saying among other
things: