Evening star., 1907-08-27
BRYAN PRODS THE ELEPHANT
CALLS TAFT THE PATRON SAINT
OF FAKE REFORM.
His Speech a Straddle Of Issues and
Its Keynote Compromise
With Trusts.

LINCOLN. Neb., August 27.-William ].
Bryans reply to the speech Of Secretary
Taft at Columbus. Ohio. was given out
last night. Secretary Taft Is condemned
as "straddier" on nearly all the impor-
tant issues and criticised for not taking .ad-
vanced ground In reforms. Mr.. Bryan COM
plains also that his own position had been
misrepresented by the Secretary.
Mr. Bryan says:
Secretary Tafts speech will prove dis
appointment to those who expected clear
bugle note in favor of reform. There Is
not single question on which he takes a
strong. advanced position.
ION the railroad question he is in favor
Of preventing watercd stock. opposes the
consolidation Of competing lines and the
duplication of directorates. So far so
good: but he does not advocate the ascer-
tanning OF the value OF the roads or the re-
duction Of rates. He even defends the
President from the charge of favoring the
reductions made by the states. The rail-
roads may object to his rhetorical denuncia-
ton Of abuses. but they will hardly be
scared by his remedies.
:'On the trust question he thunders at un-
lawful trusts but not on,y does he not rec
ommend new legislation. but takes the posi-
ton that monopoly may not be harmful.
1t seems to lean toward the idea that 1t
must be convicted of some harmful act
and this throws the burden of proof upon
the government. He recognizes that re
straint Is more difficult when one corpora
ton swallows up a lot of other corporations
that 1T involves enormous labor on the
part OF the government to prosecute such
combination because the proof Of the gist of
the offense lies underneath an almost limit
less variety Of transactions and yet he is
opposed to the license system, which would
enable the government absolutely to pre-
vent a monopoly. In other words, he gives
the benefit of the doubt to the corporation
tins nf fn 10 bi,,1r,
putting one or two trust magnates in the
penitentiary would have healthy effect
but he uses SO many qualifying words that
one is left in doubt as to what he really
favors.
Strong on Injunction.
after submitting an argument in sup
port Of an inheritance tax and graduated
income tax he concludes by saying that he
Is not in favor Of adopting either Of them
now. At some future time he may adopt
them II they are needed.
He comes out strong in favor of govern
ment by injunction. but does not take any
position on arbitration and election of SEN
atorS by the people
He takes rap at socialism, denounces
the initiative and referendum and presents
an argument against government ownership
of railroads. He is stronger In stating
favors and he-unintentionally of course
misstates Mr.. Bryans position on several
questions.
He makes out a strong case in favor Of
tariff reform, but when he gets to the rem
edy he goes no farther than the republican
leaders have gone in former campaigns. He
wants enough tariff to cover the difference
in cost Of labor here and abroad-the ex-
cuse given for the present tarif-and he
wants the tariff reformed by its friends
Tariff reform by the friends Of the tariff
is a farce and a fraud, and the Secretary
runs away from the conclusions which
would naturally be drawn from the statis-
tics which he presents.
THE conservatives may object to his
speech because 1t admits many democratic
contentious. but no real reformer will find
encouragement in it. 1t Is straddle of
the most important issues-a compromise
instead of fight for reform