Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-08-27
TAFT
Of SITTING
ONFENCE
BRYAN HAS HOT REPLY FOR
WAR SECRET TARY'S TALK
Speaker Condemned as Strad-
dIef and Criticised for Failure
to Take Advanced Stand for
Substantial Reform.

Lincoln, Neb., Aug. 26.-Bryan's re-
My to the speech Of Secretary Taft al
Columbus, Ohio, was given out tonight
The secretary is condemned as a
'straddler on nearly all the import
ant issues and criticised for not TAX
ing advanced ground in reform. Mr.
Bryan claims also that his own posi-
tiOn has been misrepresented by the
secretary. Mr.. Bryan says:
Secretary Tafts speech will prove
disappointment to those who ex-
pected clear bugle not in favor OF
reform. There is not a sigle question
on which he takes a strong advanced
position. On the railroad question he
favors preventing watered stock; op-
poses the consolidation of competing
lines and the duplication of director
ates. So far so good, but he does not
advocate the ascertainment of the
value of the roads or the reduction
of the rates. He even defends the presi-
dent from the charge of favoring the
reductions made by the states The
railroads may object to his rhetorical
denunciation of abuses, but they will
hardly be scared by his remedies. on
the trust question he thunders at un-
lawful trusts, but not only does he
not recommend any new legislation
but takes the position that a monop-
oily may not be harmful He seems
to lean toward the idea that it must
be convicted of 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 a lot of other
corporations; that 1T involves enor-
nous labor on the part of the govern
ment to prosecute each combination
because the proof of the gist of the Of
fense lies underneath an almost limit
less variety of transactions, and yet he
is opposed to a license system which
would enable the government to abso-
lutely prevent monopoly In other
words, he gives the benefit of the
doubt to the corporation instead of
to the people. He thinks that put
ing one or two trust magnates in the
penitentiary would have healthy eff
feet, but he uses so many qualifying
words that one is left in doubt as to
what he really favors. After sub
hitting an argument IN favor or ali
inheri tance tax, he concludes by say
ing that he is not in favor of adopt
ing either of them now, but at some
future time, IL needed. He comes out
strong in favor of government by in
JuIlcllOH, Dul uOeS not take any POSI-
tion on arbitration and election Of
senators by the people. He takes u
rap at socialism; denounces the initia-
tive and referendum and presents an
argument against government owner
ship of railroads. He is stronger in
stating what he opposes than In stat
ing what he favors, and he uninten-
tionally, of course, misstates Mr.. Bry-
ans position on several questions. He
makes out strong case in favor OF
tariff reform, but when he gives the
remedy he goes no further than the
republicans have gone in former cam
paigns. He wants enough tariff tC
carry the difference in cost of labor
here and abroad, the excuse given for
the present tariff, 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
statistics which he presents. COnser.
vatism may object to his speech be-
cause 1t admits many of the demo
cratic contentious. but no real refor.
mer viii find encouragement in It,"