Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-01-09
BRYAN 0N THE ISSUES
Illinois Democrats Hail Nebras.
 kan as Next President.
HE DROPS RAILROAD PLANK.
Critioises Currency Relief and Says Banks of Rest of Country Were Disorininated Against In Favor of Those of New York.


 Those of New York.
 Chicago, Jan. 9.-William Jennings | Bryan, hailed as the next president by | enthusiastic Democrats from all parts
 of Illinois, in an interview buried gov | ernment ownership of railroads as q
 national issue in next falls campaign In the interview Mir. Bryan briefly | outlined some of the views he enter tains touching on national issues.
 These were: First.--A tax on banks to provide a
 fund to insure depositors against loss. Second.-Opposition to the actiop of fI'ahe railroads in increasing suspension of state laws.
 Third.-Opposition to unrestricted or iental immigration. Fourth.-GOvernmen ownership of railroads, but not to be discussed in the present campaign.
 Fifth.-&rowing importance of the initiative and refernedum. Touching on his plan for insuring de- positors in banks against loss Mir. Bry- an said:
 I have advocated a plan of this kind for the last thirteen or fourteen years. but the fact did not receive much consd- eration before the recent financial strin- gency.
 It Is sort of mutual insurance. in which the government acts as distributor of assessments. The banks pay the cost and the depositors get the benefit But the cost is so small that the banks can afford to pay 1t because of the protection that 1t gives them from runs that might be started by timid depositors.
 Where the system is fathered by the state the national banks should be allow ed to take advantage of it, as they are in Oklahoma. When adopted in the nation the state banks should be allowed to avail themselves of it by putting themselves upon an equality in the matter of inspec- ton. security and regulation.
 Relative to government ownership of railroads Mir. Bryan said with some emphasis:
 have not changed my opinion express ed in my Madison Square Garden speech. but have stated that the question is not an issue and will not be in the campaign I railroads themselves were to blame for the discussion of the subject and that their refusal to submit to regulation would force the people to consideration of ownership. My opinion is that the railroads will do in the future what they have in the past-namely, resist necessary regulations. ...
 Mir. Bryan said he believed the idea of the Initiative and referendum was growing, but said it was not national one. He declared the relative impor- tance of issues could not be judged far in advance and that the action of the railroads in increasing suspension of state laws, the trust, tariff and la bor questions would be emphasized by what congress might do or might fail to do.
 For his speech at the Jackson day dinner of the Jeffersonian club MT. Bryan chose for his subject "The Point of View" and said In part:
 The questions which involve a discus sion of the relative sphere of the nation and the state bring out the difference in the point of view of the aristocrat and the democrat. The aristocrat wants to get the government as far away from the people as possible; tbe democrat desires to bring the government as near the peo- pie as possible. The aristocrat would sub stitute national remedies for state ones because predatory wealth can protect it. self from national legislation more easily than from state legislation. The demo- crat would add the national remedy to the state remedy and thus give to the people the protection of both the state and federal governments.
 The labor question is considered from both standpoints: the aristocrat thinks only of the large employers: the demo- crat of the army of employees and of the general public which is inconvenienced by any disruption of friendly relations between employer and employees.
 And the question of imperialism in like manner presents the difference in view point: the imperialist thinks more of the extension of commerce than of the pres ervation of the ideas of self government. and he thinks only of the benefits that might come to the comparative few: the democrat knows that trade purchased at the cannon's mouth costs more than it is worth and that the cost falls upon all the people. while the profits accrue to but a few.
 And so whatever question we take up we find that everything depends upon the point of view from which we examine the question. and there is no better illustra- tion of this than can be found in the financial stringency through which we are passing. The Republican leaders at once rush to the rescue of the banks after those banks had brought the stringency upon the country by their unbusiness- like methods. Tho banks of the rest of the country were discriminated against in favor of the banks of New York city. and after the government had exhausted the Ioanable surplus in the treasury 1t bor- rowed money at per cent in order that t might have money 10 loan to the hanks for nothing. and the high inanciers count | IL patriotism to loan out at emergency rates the treasury money furnished them l without interest.
 It the Republican leaders had spent | half as much time in trying 10 make de- l positors secure as they have spent In try | Ing to increase the profits Of the banker I we would no: have had any panic at all
 The country is ripe for the application I sf Democratic principles to government | md an that is necessary is for the Demo cratic party to convince the people that it | znl bs truly democrztic if intrlsted with | powsr
 VIII the Democratic party he demo rratfc+ Let it convince the public that it I rfn be snd ue shan have a victory which wfu b. fruitfui in blessizEs ts every part sf the css1ntry ard to every element Of sur popuiatior-
 Prominent party men from several Fessern states were present at the Jackson dinner. the orczsioa being gen- rally regarded as the Illinois opening ,f Mir. Bryanis campaign for the Drn- srratic nonfnstion for the presidency # the Denver ronv@ation next July.