The Lambertville record., 1908-04-15
TAFT ANSWERS BRYAN'S
QUESTIONS.

Washington, April 18th. Recently
while upon his continuous campaign
speechmaking tour, William J. Bryan
stopped OFF IN Kansas City long enough
to make an address. At that time he
took occasion to PROFOUND certain
questions concerning William FL. Taft
rs to what he stands for and what he
would do in regard to certain matters
of public policy.
Herewith appended are some OF the
questions which Mr.. Bryan asked, and
the answers of Mr., Taft, given in each
instance in his public uttcrances be-
fore they were propounded by The
Democratic leader:
"What does Secretary Taft stand
iore" asked Mr. Bryan
One thing which Secretary Tait
stands for is well-ordered, well-safe-
guarded liberty against state socialism
and government ownership. Said MIR.
Taft in his address in Boston, on Dec.
80, last;
"lf the abuses of monopoly and dis
elimination cannot be restrained, If the
concentration OF wealth made possible
by such abuses continues and increases,
and it is made manifest that under the
system of individualSm and private
property the tyranny and oppression of
an oligarchy OF wealth cannot be avoid
ed, then socialism will triumph and the
institution of private property will per-
lsh. The administration has been thus
far successful in showing that dangers
from mdividualism can be effectively
regulated and that the abuses in the
exercise of private property can be re.
strained. Thus a great conservative
victory has been won and the coming
Of socialism has been stayed.
'l'he question which you have ulti.
mately to meet is not whether we shall
return to a condition of unregulated
trusts, but is whether we shall main
tam strict system Of regulation of rail-
ways and trusts, OF whether we shall
turn the country over to the advocates
OF government ownership and state So
cialism. Any one who seeks retro
grade step, from the policy OF the al
mlnlstrahon is blind to every political
sign of the times
"What would he do with the trustsp"
asks MIR. Bryan.
MIR. TAFT in his speech at Columbus
on August I9, last said;
~ would restrain unlawful trusts
with all the efficiency of injunction
process and would punish with all the
severity OF criminal prosecution every
attempt on the part OF aggregated capt
t,l through the illegal means have de-
scribed to suppress competition The
attitude OF the government toward |
combinations Of capital for the reduc-
ton in the cost of production should
be exactly the same as toward the
combinations of labor for the purpose
Of bettering the conditions of the wage
worker and Of increasing his share of
the Joint profit of capital and labor
They are both to be encouraged in
every way so long as they conduct
themselves within the law"
"What does he propose on the tariff
question:" asks Mr.. Bryan.
Mr.. Taft proposes revision Of the
Dingley schedules next year by re.
publican Congress. He believes in the
protection Of American wage-earners,
and reasonable but not exorbitant pro-
fits for American manufacturers. In
his Columbus speech, referred to, con-
cerning the coming of tariff revision,
Mr.. Taft said:
at will affect only those persons in
uriously who are making an unreason-
able profit out Of an excessive rate.
1t now seems to me that even most of
in the matter Of tariff are of
he opinion that it would not only be