Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-08-27
BRYAN
Says Secretary Taft Is a
Monumental StFaddlef
Of the Issues

vi tl6 lOOu6O
Lincoln, Neb., Aug. 26-- William j,
Bryans reply to the speech of Sec
rotary Taft at Columbus, Ohio, was
given out tonight.
Secretary Taft is condemned as
a 'straddler' on nearly all import
ant issues, and criticised for taking
advanced ground in reform. Mr..
Bryan complains, also, that his own
position has been misrepresented by
Secretary Taft.
Mr.. Bryan says: Secretary Taft's
speech will prove q disappointment
to those who expected a clear bugle
| note in favor of reform. There is not
a single question on which he takes
a strong advanced position. On the
| railroad question, he is in favor of
| preventing watered stock, opposes
consolidation of competing lines and
duplication of directorate. So far, so
good, but he does not advocate as
pertaining of the value of roads or
the reduction of rates. He. even de-
tends the president from the charge
Of favoring reductions made by
states. Railroads may obpect to his
rhetorical denunciation of abuses, but
they will hardly be scared by his
remedies. S&5$#tt r,
On the trust question he thunders
| at unlawful trusts, but not only does
he not recommend new legislation
but takes the position that monopoly
may not be harmful. He seems to
lean toward the idea that it must be
convicted Lf some harmful act and
| this throws the burden of proof upon
the government. He. recognizes that
! restraint is more difficult when one
| corporation swallows up lot OF
other corporations, that it involves
enormous labor on the part of the
| government to prosecute such com
| bination, because the proof Of
the gist of the offense lies lies
| underneath almost a limitless
variety of transactions, and vel
he is opposed to the license system
| which would enable the government
to absolutely prevent monopoly. In
| other words, he gives the benefit oil
the doubt to the corporation, instead
of to the people. He thinks that
| putting one or two trust magnates
in the penitentiary would have g
healthy effect, but he uses so many
! qualifying words that one is left il
doubt as to what he really favors.
After submitting argument in sup.
! port of the inheritance tax and grad
uate income tax, he concludes by say
ing that he is not in favor of adopt
| ing either of them now. At some
future time he may adopt them ii
| they are needed. He came out
| strongly in favor of government by
injunction, but does not take any
position on arbitration and election
of senators by the people. He takes
| a rap at socialism, denounces the in
itiative and referendum and presents
argument against government owner
ship of railroads. He is stronger
in stating what he opposes than in
stating what he favors and he unin-
tentionally, of course, misstates Mr..
Bryan's position on several questions
He makes out strong case in favor
of tariff reform, but when he gets
to the remedy he goes further than
| republican leaders have done in
former campaigns. He wants enough
tariff to cover the difference in the
cost OF labor here and abroad, the
excuse given for the present tariff,
and he wants tariff reformed by its
friends. Tariff reform by the friends
Of tariff, Is a farce and fraud, and
the secretary runs away from con-
illusions which would naturally be
drawn from statistics which he pre-
sents. Conservatives may object to
his speech, because it admits many
democratic contentious, but no real
reformer will find encouragement in
at. It is a straddle of the most i'm
portant issues; compromise. instead
of fight for reform Z
Adaptable.
"A city man went into a village store
and asked for a pair of socks, size ten.
The clerk said. he was sorry, but they