Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-08-27
TALKSBACK TO TAFT
Bryan Condemns Secretary n
 a "Straddler."
SOUNDS NO CLEAR BUCLE NOTE
NebrasI<an Declares Ohioan Is Eva< sive on Great Issues and Takes No Advanced stand In Re-
 gard to Reforms.

8eAS " @s~@S~ ~~--'
 LINCOLN, Neb, Aug. Civilian J. Bryan's reply to the speech of Secretary Taft at Columbus, O., was given out. Secretary Taft is con- demned as a ''straddler" on nearly all the important issues and criticised for not taking advanced grounds in re- forms MT. Bryan complains also that his own position has been misrepre- sented by the secretary.
 MT. Bryan says: Secretary Taft's speech will prove disappointment to those who expected clear bugle note in favor of reform. There is not single question on which he takes a strong advanced position.
 "On the railroad question he is in favor of 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 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 may object to his rhetorical denunciation of abuses, but they will hardly be scared by his remedies.
 ''On 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 con- victed of some harmful act-and this throws the burden of proof upon the government. He recognizes that re poration swallows up lot of other corporations-that 1t involves enor- nous labor on the part of the govern ment to prosecute such combination because the proof of the gist of the offense lies underneath an almost limitless variety of transactions and yet he is opposed to the license system which would enable the government absolutely to prevent a monopoly. In other words, he gives the benefit of the doubt to the corporation instead of to the people. He thinks that put ting one or two trust magnates in the penitentiary would have healthy ef- feet, but he uses so many qualifying words that one is left in doubt as to what he really favors.
 "After submitting an argument in support of an inheritance tax and q 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 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 senaterssby the people.
 He takes. a rap at socialism, de- nounces the initiative and referendum and presents an argument against gov. ernment ownership of railroads. He is stronger in stating what he opposes than in stating what he fayors, and unintentionally, of course-misstates MT. Bryan's position on several ques- tions.
 He makes out strong case in ia, vor 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 giv. en for the present tariff-and he wants fhe tariff reformed hy fts friends Tar iff reform by the friends of the tarinf' is a farce and a fraud, and the secre- tary runs away from the conclusions which would naturally be drawn from the statistics 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 It is a straddle of the most important issues, a compromise instead of fight for reform"