The Topeka state journal., 1908-08-12
MIR. BRYAN,s SPEECH.

have to admit that 1t is a strong pub
lie paper. 1t is filed with that Bryan
esque vigor to which the people of the
country have become so well accus-
toned though it is couched in far
more conservative language than Mr
Bryan used when he first took his
place among the prominent publi-
cists of the United States. Not only
is Mr.. Bryan's speech strong and
virile as speeches go but in 1t are pre-
sented able arguments and conclu-
sions as to why the Republican party
should be defeated at the polls this
fall. from the standpoint of the Demo-
Gratis, of course.
Shall the people rule?'' is the slo-
gan of the speech, as it will be of the
Democratic campaign and Mr.. Bryan
insists that the people will only be
able to rule through the medium of
the Democratic party. He declares
that the Republican party is respon-
sible for the abuses that now exists in
the transactions of the affairs of the
country. or rather responsible for per-
mitting these abuses to creep in and
develop and that the Republican party
as it now exists is impotent to accom-
plish the reforms needed. It's his
idea that the Republican party can
never begin to study public questions
from the standpoint of the masses un-
til it has passed through period of
fasting in the wilderness.
Mr.. Bryan declares that so long as
the Republican party remains in pow
er 1t will be powerless to regenerate
itself because it cannot attack wrong
doing in high places without disgrace
ing many of its prominent members.
Its malefactors, he says, construe each
Republican victory as an endorsement
of their conduct and threaten defeat
if they are interfered with.
AS an argument to show the cor
rectness of these conclusions Mr.. Bry-
an discusses the attitude of the Re-
publicans to tariff reform. He points
out their failure to untertake this
work and their promises to do it after
election. But he charges that the Re-
publican party will be unable to bring
about tariff reform because 1t will be
obligated by campaign contributions
from beneficiaries of protection to
such an extent that it will be power
less to bring to the country any relief.
He further calls attention to the
failure of the Republican party to
make the antitrust law effective by
needed amendments and also to its
failure to strengthen the hands of the
interstate commerce commission by
giving it increased authority over the
railroads in the way of valuing the
railroad properties and in other re-
spects.
On the question of electing United
States senators by a direct vote Mr..
Bryan takes an emphatic stand. He
says that next to the corrupt use of
the present methods of electing
United States senators is most re-
sponsible for the obstruction of re-
forms. In the words of the Democratic
platform he believes that the popular
election Of senators will be the real
gateway to other national reforms.
Mr. Taft, in his speech of acceptance,
said that he was personally in favor of
the direct election of United States
senators but that the matter was hard
ly a party question. Mr.. Bryan insists
that 1t has been made party question
by it's unanimous endorsement by the
convention and its rejec-
ton at the Republican convention by a
vote in the ratio Of Z to 1. And this
argument of his seems to be most
tenable one.
The question of Shall the people
rule?" Mr.. Bryan says manifests itself
in all issues whether it be tariff re-
vision, the trust question. the railroad
question, the banking question. the Ia
Dor question, imperialism, the develop
ment of the waterways and in all other
public matters, which he will discuss
at length and in detail on other occa-
sions.
He insists that the Democratic party
has shown itself to be worthy of the
of the people by it's refusal
in times past to purchase victory by
delivering the people into the hands of
those who have despoiled them. The
Democrats have no desire. he says. to
annihilate all corporations but insist
that as the government creates the
it must retain power W
regulate and control them and not per-
init any of them to develop into a
Mr.. Bryan looks upon his third nomi-
nation from the Democratic party for
presidential honors as evidence of
substantial and undisputed growth in
the belief of the policies for which he
and others have contended. He stands
on the Denver platform and
considers a platform of a party quite
as binding as to what it omits as well
as to what it contains. If elected to
the presidency he makes solemn
promise to consecrate his ability to the
one purpose of making this. in fact. d
government in which the people rule
a government which will do justice to
all.