New-York tribune., 1908-10-02
BRYAN ON PUBLICITY
Issues Statement Criticising Mr.
Taft for Agreeing rcith President.

Lincoln. Neb., Oct 1.-Declarfng that every dis
interested knows that large contributions
have been used 10 get mortgages on officials, Mr.
Bryan tonight issued Fairview q statement
crftics,nR the agreement Of Judge Taft with Presi
dent Roo<evelts views publicity OF campaign
contributions. Mr.. Taft" said Mr. Bryan. makes
the same charge the President does. the astound-
ing charge that the voters liable TO be mis-
led that knowledge (as to the amounts and
sources Of campaign contributions) must be kept
from them. I insist that this Is an insult TO the
intelligence Of the voters. and It does little credit
70 Mr.. Taft's judgment Of the men 10 whom he is
making his appeal
The statement said in part
He fails TO see the difference between the publi-
cation OF contributions before election and the
publication Of expenditures before election me
publication of expenditures Is required to show
whether corrupt methods have been employed In
the election. and as the expenditures cohtlnue up
to the close Of the polls it would be Impossible TO
ton. The publication Of contributions ought to be
before election: the main reason for the pubca lion
public the sources from which the contributions
come. in order that rhe public may Know ic Enicn
party predatory interests are supporting EVERY
one who knows human nature knows that the ee-
human affairs Ingratitude has been described as
n worse sin than revenge, for ingratitude repayS
E3G6 SfS evi Win evil while revenge only Fsp'yS sv'
deal more light upon the influence at work IN
politics than the publication Of expenditures. Ior
the party is Indebted and to whom repayment is
likely 10 be made. while the publication OF e1-
bursen,ents do not create obligations that affect
the course OF the administration.
Mr Roosevelt may have made his : tement
thouehtlessly and on the impulse OF the onsnt
the voters with elaboration and after he mas read
criticism Of the Presidents views II Is fair 70
charge. therefore, that MI Taft Is either expecting
TO receive contributions which would arouse Just
rG3 i ghicS ~ knoun would arouse an unjust slIs-
picion among 4 people too ignorant 10 form n cor
which he can neither retract nor excuse II can
Hcan campaign methods will not bear the light and
that II would be dangerous to his party II INC pup
make public after the election.
His subsequent argument that the Puhlica ton
uted would discourage those who desire 10 con
tri6HtS 10 me 6 al t piTFsr iatgbes Of nn
fair attacks or sanderous condemnation OF paru-
weight when II is considered that such publication
Will he e1cacious in disc9uras gins those wno now
for the purpose OF putting officials under ohliga-
ton may enable us to Judge whether subsequent
ofcial action has been improperly affected in favor
this is Of very small value COMPARED with the: hen
Mr. Taft misrepresents what have said in re-
IF the contributions that We're made 10 Mr.
Hughess fund and in yeT OF 64e enfs 'na n m fb
Democratic platform as a cure Tor the trusts
in vfew Of the further fact that this testimony
quoted by the President aSanSt + me, e.. asheo @
trib,Irions bv trust mHRnates would lessen or IN
weight or MI. HuBneSS testimony on
the O trusts. II will not do for hT. Tart
TO put Mr Hughes upon pedestal and claim for
him ir1munity from criticism II Is not necessary
FOR me TO pass judgment upon Mt Hughes or
mon what he has done in order TO pass 1udg-
rnent upon the question under discussion. he is
ONLY human. and OF the allies before
the Chicago convention
II is only fair. however. 10 assume that in using
Mr. Hughes's case as an argument Mr.. Tar
means 10 say that he will not object to contrbu-
ttons from trust magnates. railroad magnates ard
tariff benehciaries. matter how much these con-
,-4b,Irfons may be though he may. II elected.
he cCn1pelled to pass upon questions where their
demands m be the one side and the interests
OF the general public on the other
Mr. Bryan referred to Mr.. Taft's statement that
Thomas r Ryan contributed $1,000 - the Ne
braska campaign fund in 1904. saying:
This has denied but l. assume that he has
-a statements Of some OF his Republican
advisers without taking time to verify those state
Mr. RYAN did contribute money To
,be Nehrn ska campaign fund The national m
nttre contributed $500 in 1904. and the members
~ the national committee who had charge Of the
fund have stated that the contribution was made
from the general fund Of the committee, and was
not contributed 10 the committee by any one for
the purpose OF being sent to Nebraska