Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-08-27
Bryan Accuses TAFT OF
Giving Wrong
Color.
ANSWER TO SPEECHES
hsbraskan Also Says Secretary
Straddles More lmp0r-
tant Issues.


Bryan's reply to the speech of Secre.
tary Taft at Columbus, Ohio, was Civ
en- out last night. The secretary is
condemned as a "straddler" on nearly
all the important issues and criticised
for not taking advanced ground in re
forms.
Mr.. Bryan complains also that his
own position has been misrepresentel
by the secretary. He says:
Secretary Taft's speech will prove
a disappointment to those who expect
ed clear bugle note in favor of re-
form. There is not a single question
on which he takes a strong advanced
position.
Defends President.
"On the railroad question, he is in
favor of preventing watered stock. OD-
poses the consolidation of competing
lines and the duplication of director
ates. So far so good; but he does not
advocate the ascertaining of the value
of the roads or the reduction of rates.
He even defends the president from
the charge of favOring the reductions
made by the states. The railroads NAV
object to this rhetorical denunciation
of abuses, but they will hardly be
scared by his remedies.
Snys Taft Fnvors Trusts.
'On the trust question he thunders
at unlawful trusts, but not only does
not recommend new legislation. bus
takes the position that a monopoly
may not be harmful He seems [,
lean toward the idea that it must be
convicted of some harmful aCt-anl
this throws the burden of proof upDE
the government.
He recognizes that restraint is
more difficult when one corporation
swallows up a lot of other corpora
tions-that it involves enormous Labor
on the part of the government to pros
eCute such a combination because the
proof of the gist of the offcnse lie:
underneath an almost limitless variety
of transactions and yet he is OppOScf
to the license system. which would Ell
able the government to absolutely pre-
vent n monopoly.
In other words. he gives the ben5
fit of the doubt to the corporation in
stead of to the people. He thinks tn"
putting one or two trust magnates y
the penitentiary would have a health.
effect. but he uses so many qualifyin;
words that one is left in doubt as t
what he really favOrs.
Ccnsurcs Inheritance Tax View.
After submitting an argument i
support of an inheritance tax and
graduated income tax, he concludes b
saying that he is not in favor of adOp
ing either of them now. At some fl
tire time he may adopt them, if the
are needed.
He comes out strong in favor {
government by injunction. but doe
not take any position on arbitratin
and election of senators by the pet
pie.
"He takes a rap at socialism, d.
nOunces the initiative and referendul
and presents an argument against go
ernment ownership of railroads. He
stronger in stating what he oppos.
tndn III StaIl1lS WHdJ ht IdNOIS, du
he-unintentionally. of cOurse-mi
states Mr.. Bryan's position on sever
questions
Calls Tariff Plan Farce.
He makes out a strong case i'll I
vor of tariff reform, but when he &c
to the remedy he goes no further tha
the republican leaders have gone
former campaigns. He wants enous
tariff to cover the difference i'll cost
labor here and abroad-the excuse gi
en- for the present tariff-and he wan
the tariff reformed by his friend
Tariff reform by the friends of 4
tariff is a farce and a fraud, and t
secretary runs away from the conc
sions which would naturally be draw
from the statistics which he presen
"The conservatives may object
his speech because it admits MAJ
democratic contentious, but no real
former will find encouragement i'll
1t is a straddle of the most importa
issues-a compromise instead of fig
70,