The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1908-02-14

lress before the Civic forum, taking
| Tor his text "Thou Shalt Not Steal" and
reviewing the entire field of politics.
| Here, as elsewhere, he took occasion
% commend the recent message of
| President Roosevelt He said 1t was a
brave message" and "call to arms"
and that the fight should now be to
| pick out the purchased papers and the
| purchased legislators. He hoped the
| Democrats in congress would promptly
challenge the issues by proposing the
'emedial legislation desired.
| In his New York address he blamed
The Republican party, but not the presi-
Dent for the loss of confidence and
urged continuation of the crusade
against predatory wealth." His criti-
.isms of Roosevelt had been misuhder-
stood. He had not accused the presi-
lent of initiating the Democrats, but
had merely pointed out the coincidence
If principles advocated by both. Bryan
frankly defended his former silver
policy as compared with the present
scheme of asset currency Stealing
1pon a large scale he described as
glorious larceny" The New York
stock Exchange had graduated more
mbezzlers than Fagin's school did
thieves"
Bryan Replies to Carnegie.
During the dinner of the Economic
club of New York there was a sharp
clash between Lyman ]. Gage, ex-sec-
rotary of fha tt.ao Si1rv on1 Andraw
Carnegie on the one hand and w. J.
Bryan on the other. The former speak
ers denounced our present financial
system as about the worst possible,
but called upon congress to keep its
hands off the matter until after the
presidential election. In his remarks
Carnegie called attention to the alb
surdity Of the nations giving security
for its own debt and declared that this
policy costs $150,000,O00 a year. Bry-
an at once took up the gage by stating
that the financial affairs of the coun-
try had been in the hands of men rep
resented by the preceding speakers for
the last forty-seven years; that they
had admitted that they had evolved
and did not know how to remedy the
evil. He asked why they should de-
nounce the government for issuing
S46,000,000 in promises to pay when
they failed to denounce the banks for
issuing $700000,000 promises to pay.
He said the cause of the recent pdnic
was not the issue of too much paper
money, but the overissue of stocks and
bonds that did not represent honesty
in business. "If," he asked, "you
blame the government for buying sill
yer at GO cents and selling it for dol
lar, what can You say of Wall streets
issue of billions in stock that represent
no value whateverT
President Ripley Indignant.
President e. 2. Ripley of the Santa
Fe railroad in commenting on that
part Of President Roosevelts message
referring to Ripley's letter on the Well
born decision showed considerable re-
sentiment. "The statement" said he
that 1 was party to a secret rate on
oil in California is absolutely false. On
the contrary, emphatically and abso-
lutely declined to grant 1t. In this
case, as in other cases, the government
has used information furnished by q
discharged employee, making no at
tempt to verify the charges or ask for
an explanation, but proceeding to make
the charges public in ex parte public
documents"
Taft Wins In Committee.
The Republican state central commit
tee of Ohio has recognized the pro-Taft
Republican county committee of Cuya-
hoga county as the legal body in con-
troll of the party machinery. There
had been a contest between the Taft
and Foraker supporters in that county
over the election Of delegates to the
state convention.
Montana's Governor Resigns.
Governor Joseph X. Toole of Mon
tana has resigned his Office, to take eff
fect April /. In explanation Of his ac-
ton the governor refers to his i'll
health. which he says is of such a ma
ture that a permanent restoration can
not be effected without an absence of
several months in q warmer climate
and mentions d clause Of the constitu-
ton which provides that an elective
official shall not absent himself from
the state for more than sixty days. He
intends to spend several months in
southern California. Mr. Toole was
elected governor in 1896 and reelected
In 1900 and 1904 He is q Democrat
Lieutenant Governor Edwin Norris will
succeed him in Office.
Gaynor Warns Reactionaries.
Justice William j. Gaynor Of New
York In q recent address intimated
that most of the clamor against the
president was from wrongdoers who
were trying to use the government to
enable them to undersell and ruin their
rivals in business. On this point he
said: when the courts. including the
supreme court of the United States,
justly and properly held that the rail-
roads were public highways In order to
convict Debs Of contempt of court for
obstructing them, these other violators
Of the laws of the highways were loud
In their plaudits, but now they assail
the courts and the president and the
NOVA vp m, ont m tho Uroocoof y,,anrar