The San Francisco call., 1908-09-15
TAFT REPLIES TO
BRYAN'S COMMENT.
Shows the COnlmOner to Have
Been the Enemy of Labor
When in the White House
Holds Up the Inconsistencies Of
His Attitude In Previous and
Present Campaign

CINCINNATI, o.. Sept. 14.-William
II. Iaft devoted himself today prin
clpally to political composition. He
wrote an answer to Bryans comment
on President Roosevelt's Taft letter
after which he spent the latter part OF
the day in the preparation of the two
speeches he is to make tomorrow-the
nrst TO a delegation from Greenfield
IND, the other to the Methodist negro
preachers of Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky
and Pennsylvania.
IaIts reply to Bryan was matter
the Importance of which, seemed to
grow on the candidate. When he was
nrst shown what Bryan had said the
spontaneous answer was short and
terse; then Taft indicated that he
would dictate formal reply, which in
turn was revised and expanded, and is
as follows: h
mace 11a since attempted to make clear my posi-
tion on all Of the issues of the campaign.
II Bryan has been unable to understand them
cannot make them clear. l stand on my
record In the past and what have said. Bryan
should devote little time to his own record,
from which he seems to be struggling to separate
himself with all the adroitness acquired in a
IL years hunt for an issue on which he can
be elected president
presidential campaigns passes from one para
mount issue to another shows that the chief
.oHsiutldtion WHICH anecteu his selection OF an
issue has been its plausibility in attracting
votes lie presented the remarkable spectacle
OF OF one who has been seeking the presidency for
IL years without success. without official re-
sponsibility and without the opportunity TO test
the various propositions which he has advocated
Tor REFORMS, and yet of having eventually demon
strated what colossal failure he would have
made IN each instance had he been permitted
TO nave his proposals become the policies of the
Sou1tiy. I1e Goes not say whether ne ls sun
III favor of the free coinage of silver. he
does not now answer the question whether,
IL ne were president and an exigency should
arise in which he would be called to exercise
his discretion affirmative to maintaining the
parity between gold and silver. he would exer-
else that discretion He has not permitted him.
self to discuss In this campaign the issues of
anti-imperialism. which the paramount
issue IN 1900. as he declared. and in respect
to which the policy of the republican party has
been indicated by the event. so that tran
quiility and good government exist In the
Philippine islands, and even the independistas
prefer republican victory to Bryan's promises.
He now says he favors the, more rigid regula-
tion of the railroads. In 1896 he expressed the
view that the railroads could not be regulated
because the railroads would own the regulators
appointed by law, and therefore he was in favor
OF government ownership. We hear nothing from
him on this subject. Instead. by describing his
platform not only as an announcement of prin-
ciples. but as protection against uncomfort-
able issues, he has attempted to give bond to
preserve the peace with respect to government
ownership. which by its announcement
showed its lack of the vote catching quality.
He processes to have been the father. and now
to be the heir, of the Roosevelt policies. and
yet in no campaign of the three in which he
has taken part, and two of which he himself
led. did he make them the paramount issue.
Instead, during the Parker campaign, he took
occasion to charge Roosevelt with militarism
and with being completely subject to the inhu-
ence of corporations. only to see him win the
greatest peace triumph of the world and secure
such effective stamping out of corporate
abuses as to elicit the admiration OF the entire
country, : -.-5
Bryan processes to be the great friend of
labor, and yet he was one of the chief support
ers In the passage of the German Wilson bill that
made labor helpless for four years. He pro-
posed as a remedy for the disasters TO which
labor was thus exposed the issuing Of 80 cent
dollar, which would have cut In half such wages
as there were and would have led to the hardest
kind of struggle labor's part to restore
its wages to its equivalent under the gold
standard. The country has been most fortunate
that the failacy of Bryans railroad propesi tions
has been exposed without the cost OF putting
them into acutal governmental practice, and 1t
will be fortunate indeed IL the danger of four
years depression. to which 1t would be ex-
posed in Of Bryan's election. may be
averted. and If by republican success in Novem-
Der and subsequent prosperity and by a clinch-
ing of the Roosevelt policies he may be again
shown to be a prophet without honor.