New-York tribune., 1907-06-07
TRUSTS THE ISSUE NOW
MR. BRYAN ON POLITICS.
Says Tariff Is Replaced by Cor
porati0n Question.

Not tariff reform but the regulation of trusts
and railroads, Will be the paramount issue in the
next Presidential campaign says William ]. Bryan
Mr.. Bryan talked freely yesterday on current po-
htical topics. He addressed the Board OF Trade
and Transportation. at No. 2OS Broadway and at
night he spoke to audience at the Amsterdam
Democratic Club, on the upper West Side.
In his midday speech he said that the Western
farmer failed the difference between Wall
Street speculation. so called, and downright gam
bling.
1T anuses the Western farmer" said Mr.. Bryan.
ito see you here In New York aroused because
some young fellow has lost 500 in some gambling
house, when you silent speculation when
millions are lost. who bets on the turn of
the cards you call gambler, and the man who
steals a railroad you call fnancier. Now, is the
farmer wrong when he asks you in trade to put
down this form of gambling?'
After his speech A1r. Bryan went down TO the
Lawyers Club, the very hotbed of deals and specu-
latons. where scarcely any hut corporation
lawyers and dealers in shares Congregate and had
a fine luncheon with Lewis Nixon and others
In his talk earlier in the day to the newspaper
men Mr.. Bryan said that the dollar of to-day was
not the dollar of in purchasing power. He said
that II had 80 per cent less purchasing power to-
day than it had in 1885, when the great issue was
l6 to l.
Seated in his room in tho Hoffman House.
rounded by representatives. of the Democratic Pro
gressive League, who entertaining him while in
the city. Mr. Bryan looking the picture of health.
talked freely politics.
Il find the Democratic party to be in excellent
condition. and more united than ever, while. on the
contrary, the Republicans divided" said he in
response to question. There two elements in
the Republican party to-day-one which I might
call the extremists and the other the stand-pattcrs
the latter representing those people who have put
their hands in other peoples pockets and wish to
keep them there 1 regard the outlook Of the DEM
ocratc party for year being very good"
Mr. Bryan refused absolutely to discuss candi-
dates.
AS the title of the league whose members are
entertaining him in the city has the word pro
sressve" In 1t, Mr.. Bryan was asked what he
considered progressive Democrat.
In every country he said. there are two
tremes In politics. the radical and the conserva-
tive, and it is the aim of the progressive Demo-
crat to steer a middle course between the two
and TO take up all great questions and solve
them"
He was asked II he had discovered Colonel Wat
terson's dark horse and he smilingly replied that
he had not
Taking up the question OF Republican candidates
and what he called President Roosevelts efforts
TO name his SUCCESSOR Mr.. Bryan said: ANY
reform candidate should have such a record be-
fore the people at large as not to require the aid
on the question of tariff reform and it's rela-
tion TO the Democratic platform for the coming
for years talked tarir reform for years prior
10 the campaign OF 1886; l believe in il now, and
questions before the people relatively more mpor-
roads l believe that the Democratic party in It's
national platform viii take cogniEance of all three
OF these questions but, in my opinion, the tariff
win not be tho paramount issue"
Mr.. Bryans attention next called TO the
financial situation.
The financial issue Is not the Same II
in 1896 he said but it IS not due TO the Re
publican party, but to natural causes. such the
worlds increase OF gold supply, which has accom-
pushed in measure what tried to accomplish In
the campaign of 1896 AS Il matter of fact,
all rcpudiators The dollar OF to-day is not
the dollar OF 1895 The dollar OF to-day Is at least
30 per leas in purchasing power than II in
1885. The cost OF living has greatly increased. 30
that the face value OF dollar today does not at
all compare with the purchasing ability OF eleven
years ago
MI Bryan's attention was called 20 the fact that
silver bullion had gone mp considerably since 1886
that. while u quoted IN 1895 about IS, to-day
It was upward OF 60-aud he asked 10 account
for the rise. In he stated that by the fail
ure of bimetalsm. silver being demonetized. silver
had merely become commodity the market,
and that, like ali other commodities II had risen
In value.
He said he favored municipal ownership. As to
the contention Of somo that II the principle were
put In operation in this city there might be danger
that organization would gain perpetual control
of the citys administration. he said: Il would
rather trust the administration IN politics mu-
n!cipality than the administration In politics Of a
Of coercing its employees
He reiterated his belief IN the efficacy OF the
referendum and the initiative,