The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-08-27
BRYAN CALLS TAFT
MERELY STRADDLER
Says the Secretary of War
Has Not Met the Issues
Square and Fair.
TRUST VIEWS ARE WEAK.
NEBRASKAN EXPRESSES THE BE.
LIEF THAT THE SPEECH OF
TAFT WILL PROVE ONLY A DIS
APPOINTMENT.

Lincoln, Neb, Aug. 27-William j.
Bryan's reply to the speech of Secre-
tary Taft at Columbus, o., was given
out last night.
Secretary Taft is condemned as a
''straddler" on nearly all the import
ant issues and criticised for not TAX
ing advanced ground in reform. Mr.
Bryan complains also that his own po-
sition has been misrepresented by the
secretary. Mr.. Bryan says:
Secretary Taft's speech will prove
ed clear bugle note in favor of re-
form. 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, OPP
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 reduc-
lions made by the states. The rail-
roads may object to his rhetorical
demolition of abuses, but they Will
hardly be scared by his remedies.
His Trust Views Criticised.
con the trust question he thunders
at unlawful trusts, but not only does
not recommend new legislation, but
takes the position that a monopoly
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 lot of 9th
nous labor on the part of the govern
ment to prosecute such a combination,
because the proof of the gist of the of
Tense lies underneath an almost limit
less variety of transactions and yet
he is opposed to the license system,
which would enable the government
to absolutely prevent a monopoly. In
other words he gives the benefit of
the doubt to the corporation instead
of to the people. He thinks that the
putting one or two trust magnates in
the penitentiary would have a healthy
effect, but he uses so many qualify
ing words that one is left in doubt as
to what he really favors.
Other Points Called Weak
after submitting an argument in
support of an inheritance tax and
graduated increased 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 if they are needed.
He comes out strong 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, de-
nounces the initiative and referendum
and presents an argument against
government ownership of railroads.
He is stronger in stating what he OPP
poses than in stating what he favors,
and he-unintentionally of course
misstates Mr.. Bryan's position on sew
eral questions.
He makes out strong case in fav-
or of tariff reform, but when he gets to
the remedy 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
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 statis-
tics which he presents.
THE conservatives may object to
his speech because it admits many
Democratic contentious, but no real
reformer will find encouragement in it,
1t is a straddle of the most important
issues-a compromise instead of fight
for reform