Connecticut western news., 1907-08-29
TAFT A STRAlDLER." ]"
MT. Bryan's Reply to Secretary's
 Speech at Columbus, o.
NO CLEAR NOTE OF REFORM.
commoner's Editor Says Ohio States man Takes No Advanced Stand and Cannot Scare the Corporations-Ac- cuses Him of Misrepresentation.

Lincoln, Neb., Aug. 2S.-William Jen- nings Bryan gave out his reply to Sec retary Taft's Columbus speech. He condemns Secretary Taft as ''strad- dler' on nearly all the important is- sues and criticises him for not taking advanced grounds in reforms. MT. Bryan complains also that his own po- sition has been misrepresented by the secretary. He says:
 Secretary Taft's speech will prove dis appointment to those who expected a 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, opposes the consolidation of competing lines and the duplication of directorates. So far so good, but he does not advocate the as- certaining of the value of the roads or the reduction of rates. He even defends the president from the charge of fa- voring 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.
 Benefit of Doubt to Trusts.
 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 convicted of some harmful act-and this throws the bur den of proof upon the government. He recognizes that restraint is more diffi- cult' when one corporation swallows up a lot of other corporations-that 'it in- wolves enormous labor on the part of the government to prosecute such a combina- tion because the proof of the gist of the offense lies underneath an almost limit less variety of transactions" and yet he is opposed to the license system which would enable the government absolutely to prevent monopoly. In other words, he gives the benefit of the doubt to the corporation instead of to the people, He thinks that putting one or two trust magnates in the penitentiary would have healthy effect but he so many qualifying words that one is left in doubt as to what he really favors.
 After submitting an argument in SUD- port of an inheritance tax and a grad uated 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.
 Omissions In Taft's Speech.
 He comes out strong in favor of gov ernment by injunction, but does not take any position arbitration and election of senators by the people.
 He takes a rap at socialism, denounces the initiative and referendum and pre- sents an argument against government ownership of railroads. He is stronger in stating what he opposes than in stat ing what he favors, and-unintentionally of course-misstates MT. Bryan's position on several questions.
 He makes out a strong case in favor of tariff reform, but when he gets to the remedy he goes no farther than the Re- publican leaders have gone in former campaigns He wants enough tariff to cover the difference Tn cost of labor here and abroad-the excuse given for the present tariff-and he wants the tariff re- formed 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 nat urally be drawn from the statistics which he presents.
 The conservatives may object to his speech because it admits many Democrat ic contentious, but no real reformer will find encouragement in it. It is strad- dle of the most important issues a com promise instead of fight for reform.