The Detroit times., 1908-09-23
Bryan Forcefully
Attacks Cop. Platform
And Praises Own Party

William Jennings Bryan's speech /
no Light Guard armory Tuesday eve,
az lasted about an hour and a hal
lie said in part:
Now, my friends, | want In the
first place to say a word about the
overshadowing Issue Of this cam
paign. We declare In our plat
form that the overshadowing Is
sue is: Shall the people rule!
What Is 1t that stands In the
way OF the rule Of the people? In
the first place. the great contribu.
tons that have come from predat-
DRY corporations have secured a
mortgage from the party In pow.
er. and that mortgage given for
contributions has been foreclosed
after the election and for that rea-
son the legislation has been in
the interests OF those who gave
the money and not In the inter
ests OF the whole people. The
resolutions. the investigation. the
disclosure aroused q public opin-
Ion and public opinion demanded
publicity In campaign contribu-
tons. But the Republican leaders
In congress voted down that meas
ure. They refused to consider 1t
and, my friends. In the conven-
ton at Chicago, the Republican
leaders rejected a plank providing
for publicity and they rejected 1t
by vote or nine To one.
/ am not afraid Of any Repub-
lican differing from me when
say that that convention was
wrong In voting down the pub
LEFTY plank, and why am l so sure
that no Republican will dissent
from what I say? Why, because
the Republican candidate was 80
ashamed OF that convention and
its action on that subject that he
himself repudiated the action OF
the convention and -rebHked- the
man who gave him his nomination
when he came to make his notifi-
cation speech.
Democrats Favor Publicity.
When our convention met at
Denver, by unanimous vote 1t de-
clared In favor Of publicity, and
when Mr.. Taft saw our platform
and remembered his, he tried to
get over onto our platform, but
II was too far for him and he fell
half way, and there he Is today.
Why do I say he fell half way?
Because our platform says pub
licity before election. his platform
says nothing, and he wanted to
compromise by publicity after
election. / will leave you to de-
eide which plan Is better.
I want you to talk to your Re-
publican neighbors. and I want
you to ask your neighbors why the
Republican leaders refuse to allow
light to be thrown on campaign
methods, and II these Republi-
can neighbors cannot tell you. you
tell them, and to be sure that you
will be able to tell them, l will
tell you, for l think can give you
a satisfactory explanation In the
bible, where I get great many OF
the best things that say. have
never made a more apt quotation
from holy writ in public matters
than l have to make on this sub
ject. Why. this statement In the
bible fits this case so perfectly
that 1t looks Just like Il was meant
for these Republican leaders.
Now do you guess what pas
sage / have reference to? ex-
pect you do. but for fear some Of
you may not, I will go on and tell
you. Now the bible, as II de-
scribing the action of the Republi-
can convention In refusing to al
low the light to be thrown on cam
paign transactions--now the bible
says. They love darkness rather
than light, because their deeds are
evil Doesn't that at the case?
Isn't that an apt quotation?
Now what Is the second OBJ
stAcle In the way of the rule OF
the people? II Is the present
method Of electing senator's and
we have been trying for years to
secure this change. The ques.
ton was brought up In the Re-
publican national convention and