The Mena weekly star., 1907-04-18
BRYAN TALKS TO
 THE LEGISLATORS
Lands the Works and Good Intentions of President but Says tic Big Stick" Should Be Used More Forcefully
 Duties of Legislators.


 las, two presidential campaigns as far as they are applicable to their jurisdiction, and the Demo cratic party will have no difficulty ,n electing president of their choice, a House of Representa-. tiyes and Senate within the next two years. For if we can show the people of the United States that our blanks have been carried out with success in several of the individual states and can furnish the proof of it our battle will have been fought and victory will be our reward. '
 This was the message brought 10 the Arkansas legislature and tue people of the entire state by William Jennings Bryan, the Democratic standard-bearer in two presidential campaigns. He explained what sort of legislation is demanded by the conmon people of the country. The trusts, swollen fortunes, legislative cor ruption and corporate control of the government were the sub iects of his address. He pointed out the evils connected with these various objects of reform and suggested remedy for each and every one of them.
 MT. Bryan was by no means mincing in bis words. He spoke with conviction and from a store oi experience and facts that left uo doubt that all his statements could be substantiated by person investigation.
 Praise for the President.
 The Roosevelt- Hartman con- troyersy and the recent Wall street disclosures were discussed in detail. He paid high tribute to the good intentions of the present executive at Washington and lauded the reforms that he has set on foot, but the speaker declared the big stick was not descending swiftly enough nor with enough force. The presi. dent, he contended, had gotten the ideas on the various reforms from the Democratic platforms, and he had taken up all of them with the exception of tariff re- form. The recent agitation in connection with swollen fortunes, governmental control of corpor- ations, the strengthening of the interstate commerce law, the pure food measure. and in fact all of the recent policies advanced by the president were the fruits of Democratic brains that had been appropriated by the other party because their merits had been recognized.
 During the course of his re- marks the speaker tiayed the trusts and the possessors of swollen fortunes in no doubtful terms, and public officials who abuse the trust imposed in them by the people came in for their share of invective.
 Mir. Bryan advanced the idea that members of congress and of the legislatures of the various states were sent to the capitals for the purpose of enacting the laws asked for by their coustitu- ents. Representatives, he de- clared, were chosen for the pur- pose of putting the thoughts of the people into acts, and not elected to think for themselves and act accordingly. Whenever legislator could not vote con scientiously for measure that his people desired, and the speak CT admitted that such a contin. gency might arise, there was only one thing to do, insisted the speaker; the representative should resign and let the people elect a man whose ideas were attuued to theirs.
 The initiativeSand referendum was earnestly advocated by the speaker, and he declared that the recent Oklahoma constitution which contains this feature, wa. the hest in the TTu;tad Ctates de.