Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-09-01
HOW THE PEOPLE HAVERULED
Charles A. L. Reed of Cincinnati Dis
sects the Bryan War Cry.
REPUBLICANS ARE COMMISSIONED
only Trouble with Mr.. Bryan and His
Friends II They Have Chosen
20 Rule Through Others
Than Themselves.

CINCINNATI, Aug. a-"Shall the people
rule or shall Mr. Bryan rule? This is the
paramount issue before the national eco
torate-an issue that has been reduced to
definite terms by Mr.. Bryan himself de-
clares Charles A. L. Reed, candidate for
United States senator. in an address on
1.-The Rule Of the People" delivered to-
night before the Young Mems Political al
lance Of this city. The address was the
first of a series under the same title in re-
ply to the Bryan war-cry. shall the Peo-
pie Rule?"-the next one being announced
for the inauguration OF the Taft club at
Sidney. o., September g. under the auspices
of the republican state executive commit
tee.
The speaker said, in part:
The right OF the people to free and un-
trammeled rule is the cornerstone of this
country, as II is of this organization that
| have the honor to address. The people
themselves asserted that right when they
resovled themselves into a free and inde-
pendent nation. They reatfirmed 1t when
they fashioned our matchless constitution,
and they have perpetuated II by every law
that they have since passed in harmony
with that constitution. They have eXer-
right to rule through the ballot. And for
purposes of rule, but with due regard to the
inalienable rights of every individual, they
have decreed that the majority Of the peo-
pie shall be the whole people
The republican party has stood for this
principle-for the rule OF the people-dur-
ing all the fifty-four years of its exist
cree. 4 began its active career by striR-
ing the democratic shackles from 100000
Of ensaved people and by giving to them
country in which they lived. 1t has con-
tinued its career by giving the same right
| to many millions of people of foreign birth
who have sought a home In our fair land
In short, It has stood, as 1t stands today.
for the principle of manhood suffrage
And the people themselves recognizing tins
fact. have designated the republican party
as the instrument through which they have
ruled and today ruling the most
progressive the most prosperous and the
happest country In the world.
With the exception of an unfortunate
four years of democratic rule, this com
lican party has been continuous one from
even before the day when the rule ''of the
people by the people and for the people
was proclaimed by the greatest republican
of all history, Abraham Lincoln.
Democratic Rule Unfortunate.
But the disastrous results of those four
years of democratic rule, or inisrule,
brought about perfectly natural, speedy,
emphatic and progressive reaction. The
people reasserted their right and purpose
to rule when, in 1886 by plurality OF
something like a half million. and again
in 1900. by a plurality of nearly million.
they again selected the republican party
as the medium through which to execute
their will.
Mr.. Bryan may recall these two incidents
in American history. They were the two
occasions when the American people, m
exercise of their right to rule relegated
Mr.. Bryan to his home in Nebraska. while
to their own home at Washington they
elected William Mckinley of Ohio. And
Mr.. Bryan, although he somehow forgot
to be a candidate four years ago, may have
heard that, at that time, tho people In
the renewed exercise of both their wise
discretion and their right to rule, with
plurality of ebout two and a half millions,
again commissioned the republican marty
with power, this time under the intrepid
leadership of Theodore Roosevelt
1t is thus that the people rule. With
pluralities that jump from half million
to a million, then to tive and nalf mil
| lions, what sort of n plurality may we not
| expect for that genuine American and for
| that experienced and successful statesman,
| William Howard Taft?
Shall the people rule or shall Mr. Bryan
rule? 7 declare without fear of successful
contradiction that Mr.. Bryan's reputation
| by the American people on two previous
| lief that his free silver heresY, his free
| trade doctrines and his economic vagaries
| were revolutionary, but from their belief
that he was not candid and that he did
| not treat the people fairly IN his discussion
| of public questions. He who will deceive
/ the people a candidate will betray them
as an officer There was no time in all
| those two campaigns when Mr. Bryan was
not building men of straw only TO assa
! them for his own glorification, until finally
the people by plerality of we'll on to a
million, at this time unprecedented eX-
J pressed thel -'lsf at the spectacle. Put
! when Mr.. again brought himself
! forth as a CO che had the declaration
made in his .ehaN that he had mended
| his ways. Yet e. eampaign is hardly
/ oper fore kfr. Bryan IS discovered at
| his lckB tg
,on for Republican Action.
~ only point 70 Mr.. Bryan's Des
Js peech for abundant illustration of
N6iss Rira. IN that sps ech Mr.. Bryan de-
. c3sof VT every man interested in pro-
/ tectt-rfee - tries had been approached for
! republican, contributions and that the re-
| publican committee would net publish their
! contributions until after the election. when
/ he knew that the first statement was i'm
I possible, II for no other reason than that
| democrats as well as republicans are in
| terested in protected industries, and when
| he knew that the second statement was
| wholly uniustfied i'm the light of the open
| declaration OF both Mr.. Taft and the re-