Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1908-09-03
BRYAN'S PLATFORM AND POWER.


ing to say in its leading edition one day
last week:
| Much as the Democratic party has suffer-
ed during the last II years by reason of it's
own impotence, the coantry is suffering
more. Without intelligent, vigorous Oppo-
sition it is impossible successfully to carry
on Republican government. Political par
ties cannot long govern acceptably and well
unless they are constantly menaced with
the loss of place and power through virile,
organized opposition, forever watchful and
forever ready to take advantage of all their
mistakes. A weak and divided Opposition
is standing invitation to extravaganza. cor
ruption, usurpation and all the ills that
Democratic governments is heir to.
PUBLICITY AND CORRUPT PRACTICES
/ Mr.. Bryan is fortunate in the strength OF
the issues which the Republicans have vol
unfairly presented to him.
| The foremost Of these in political effectiye-
ness, perhaps, is the refusal Of the Chicago
Convention to adopt plank demanding an
efficient corrupt-practices act and publicity
of campaign contributions. A Republican
| House of Representatives had already pas
sed publicity bill Mr.. Taft had written
TO Senator Burrows advocating publicity.
While the political timidity of Southern
Democratic Senators in respect to the negro
issue prevented the passing Of the bill, the
| Republican National Convention showed
how little Republican sincerity there was
back of the measure when it defeated BY a
vote Of $50 to "a the plank which provided
for the publication Of the campaign contri-
buttons.
With Cortelyou and Corruption succeed
ing Hanna and Corruption, with the reve-
lations Of the $4,000 Of insurance money
and the $4,000 raised by Hartman to
help elect Roosevelt, Republican conven-
ton, exulting in its opportunities on the
eve Of tariff revision to bleed the protec led
industries white, took its stand naked and
unashamed in favor OF continuing political
corruption and selling legislative privileges
to the highest bidder for cash.
| Mr.. Taft's very creditable promise to
make all campaign contributions and ex-
penditures public, according to the laws of
New York, does not change the official rec
ord of his party.
| UNPARALLELED ExTRAvANGANcE:
OF scarcely less importance than the issue
of political integrity is the issue OF admins
trative economy. Never before was there
such debauch Of extravaganza in modern
government as that which Rooseyelt's Adj
ministration is responsible for In place of
the sensational Billion Dollar Congress
which Speaker Reed was compelled to de-
fend we have the Two Billion Dollar Con-
gress spending thousand millions Of pub
lie money at each annual session.
AS Senator Allison, Of Iowa, Republican
Chairman Of the Senate Committee on APP
propritions, explained in statement pre-
pared for the anniversary number Of The
World, the appropriations for the army
alone are $51, 100000 more than they were
twenty five years ago. During this period
the naval appropriations have increased
S84, 900, 600 and pensions have jumped $780,
600, 900 year. Under Theordore Roose-
welt Congress in the last three years has APP
priated So, 42s, 10000 from the public
treasury, or nearly $35, 600, 600 more than
was appropriated during four years Of civil
war.
In recent statement to The World,
James A. Tawney, Of Minnesota, the Re-
publican Chairman of the House Committee
on Appropriations, said
in my opinion the chief duty Of great
independent newspaper during the next de
cade is, or should be, to combat the alarm
ing tendency in this country toward pater-
nalism and militarism."
When we remember that almost So per
cent. of the Governments revenues, exclu-
siye Of postal receipts, is today being spent
TO meet the cost of wars past and anticipat-
the front as great military power is alarm
ing. If the present military and naval pro-
gramme is adopted and expenditures for
war purposes continue to increase, it is not
unreasonable to estimate that within the
next two years the Government will be
spending 20 per cent. of its total income on
war and the fear of it.
| Great Britain alone approaches the
United States in the per cent of her reven-
ues expended in maintaining the military
arm of her government.
This is an issue Mr.. Bryan should meet.
However clouded his record may be on some
other questions, he has always shown abil-
ity fidelity and principle in combating mill
tarieru in.narIalisna and iinpaism The