The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-08-30
HIS SPEECH A FAILURE
Does Not TAKE Strong Position
On Single Question
Stronger in Stating What He Opposes
TITAN i'm What He favorS-
states Bryan's Position on Se'eA
Ouestion-No ENCOURAGEMENT 'of
Real RefOrmers.

Ouestion-No announcement cof
Real RefOrmers.
Lincoln. Neb, August 26-AHtia1n D
Bryan's reply TO the speech q oecA
tarv Taft at Columbus. Ohio, was gwen
out tonight Secretary 1alt IL co-
demn.d as a 'tstraddeIr' on heafiS "@i
the impartant issues, and crltlcaseo Sor
not taking advanced ground IN fe-
forms. Mr.. Bryan complains 0'So'
that his own position has been mis-
ranyesented by the SECRETARY Ar.
Bryea says:
.:secretary Taft's sa)eech wiz prove
a edisappointuaent to those sno ex-
pected a clear busle note an faVor
of reform. There 6 not single ques-
tion on which he takes a strong: $o-
vanced POSITION
.On the ralroa1 question he is in
favor of preventing watere1 stock, o.
noses the consultation ot competing
lines and the duplication of director
ates. Sc farSso good bat he does not
advocate THE 81 certainins of the value
of the roads or the regn4 alton OF rates
He even defer nds the president from
the charge @! favOrins the reductiGns
made by tse states The railroads
may object 20 his rhetorical denunCa-
alton of abuses, but They will hardly
be scared by his remedies.
@-Un the crust questions he thunders
unlawful trusts, but not only does not
recommend new legislation, but takes
the position that q monopoly may not
be harmful. He seems to lean tOWarf:
the idea that it must be convicted Of
scome harmful act-and throws the
He recognizes THAT restraint is more
difficult when one corporation swallows
Tip Il lot of other cOrpOratiOns-tha
direct it invlves enormous labor on The
part of the government to prosecute
such a combination because the proof
of the gist Of the offense lies under
Meath an almost Iimitless variety OF
transactions, and yet he is opposed
! to the license system which would en-
able the government absolutely to pre-
vent monopoly. In other words, he
gives the benefit of the doubt to the
corporations instead of to the people.
He thinks that putting one Or two trust
magnates in the penitentiary would
have a healthy effect, but he uses so
many qualifying words that one is left
in doubt as TO what he really favors.
''After he submitted an argument. i'll
support Of an inheritance tax he con-
cludes by saying that he is not in
favor of adopting either of them now.
time he may adept
them if they are needed.
"He comes out strong in favor of
government by injunction, but does
not take any position on arbitration
and electing of senators by the people.
"He takes a rap at socialism, de-
nounces the initiative and referendum
and presents an argument against gov
ernment ownership.
He is stronger in stating what ne
opposes than in what he favors and
he-unintentionally of course-mis-
states Mr.. Bryan's position on several
questions.
he MAKES out strong case 1T
favor of tariff reform, but when he
gets to the remedy he goes no further
than the republican leaders have gone
in former campaigns. He wants
enough tariff to cover the difference III
cost of labor here and abroad-the ex-
cuse given for the present tar1ff-anG
he wants the tariff reformed by IFS
friends. Tariff revision by the friends
of the tariff is a farce and a fraud and
the secretary runs away from the con-
clusiOns which would naturally be
drawn from the statistics which he
presents.
The conservatives may object to Ills
speech because it admits many derao-
cratic contentious. but no real re-
FORMER will find encouragement in II
IT is straddle of the most important
issues-compronlise instead of fight for
REFORM