Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1908-09-28
BRYAN ANSWERS
MR.. ROOSEVELT

| referred to 1t in my former let
ter to you. but you Inadvertently
overlooked = in your reply, and the
members of your cabinet. called Ia
for consultation. evidently DID not
notice It, | stated that we had not
knowingly received a dollar from
any of those connected with cor
poration known as a trust. and that
any money so received. would be
retulNed as soon as we received
knowledge of the fact now re-
mind on that your convention DELHI
erately rejected by vote OF 8 40 /.
the plank favoring publicity as to
campaign contributions. Mr.. Taft
has repudiated the action OF the
convention and rebuked the membrs
OF the convention by declaring him
self in favor Of the publicity law,
but he favors publicity after the
election. while we favor publicity
before the election. Which do you
regard as the better plan? To let
the people know before the election
what influences are at work or let
them know after the election?
Are you willing to say that any
public interest was served In 1904
by concealing until after the cleo
ton the contributions made to the
Republican campaign fund by Mr..
Harrison and those collected by
him from others?
Are you willing to say that ii,
publication before election of the
contributions then made would have
no effect on the election? AS
have said, we shall publish the
names OF contributors above one
hundred dollars. Will you ask your
national committee to publish be-
fore election the contributions above
one hundred dollars? Or il you
regard this as too small, the con-
tributlons above zen thousand dol
lars? If not. what reason can you
| ms st that our Willingness to let
the public know the sources from
which we receive contributions
raises a presumption in our favor
that must be overcome before you
can ask the people to accept your
statement that the law-defying cor
porations have more 20 fear from
Republican success than from a
Democratic victory.
In conclusion, you say that you
ask support for Mr.. Taft because
he stands for the moral uplift OF
the nation, because his deeds have
made good his words, and because
the policies to which he is com
mitted are of immeasurable conse-
quence alike TO the honor and the
interests OF the whole American
people" / dare to compare my eff
forts for the moral uplift of the
nation with his efforts, my deeds
with his deeds, and the policies to
which / am committed with the
policies to which he is committed
and more than that, If I may as
sumo that he will follow in your
footsteps dare TO compare ny ideal
OF the presidency with his. / do
not regard it as proper for the pres
ident to use his prestige, his in
1uence or his patronage to aid one
member OF his party as against an
other who aspires to office, and !
regard it as a violation Of the obli-
cation that the president owes to
the whole people to use an office
that belongs 20 the whole people
as a party asset for the advance
ment of "a personal friend and po-
litical protege. Believing that the
president should not be tempted 90
use that power for his own advan-
tage-and it Is equally repugnant
TO the spirit of our institutions that
he should use it for any one else's
advantage tried to secure an
amendment to the constitution ad-
hitting the president to a single
term and have announced in three
campaigns that If elected / would
not be a candidate for renomina-
ton.
Yours truly,