The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1908-08-19
BRYAN
ACCEPTS
In Hearty Accord
With Platform.
SHALL THE PEOPLE RULE
int Is the OVeTShaGOWlng
Question.
REPUBLICANS RESPONSIBLE.
All Present Abuses a Result of
Their Acts, and They Are I'M
potent TO Correct Them.
REPUBLICANS RESPONSIBLE.

Mr.. Clayton and Gentlemen Of the
Notification COMMITTEES: l can not &C
cept the nomination which you official
" tender, without first acknowledging
my deep Indebtedness to the Democrat
&c party for the extraordinary honor
which II has conferred upon me. Hav-
ing twice before been a candidate for
the presidency, in campaigns which
ended in defeat, a third nomination, the
result Of the free and voluntary act Of
the voters of the party, can only be ex-
planned by a substantial and undis-
puted growth in the principles and pol
icies for which l. with multitude of
others, have contended. As these prln-
ciples and policies have given me what
ever political strength l possess, the
action Of the convention not only re-
news my faith in them, but strengthens
my attachment to them.
A Platform Is Binding.
I shall, In the near future, prepare
more formal reply to your notification,
and, in that letter of acceptance, Will
deal with the platform In detail. 1t is
sufficient, at this time, to assure you
that / am in hearty accord with both
the letter and the spirit of the plat
form. ! endorse it in whole and in
part, and shall If elected, regard its
declarations as binding upon me- And,
l may add platform Is binding as to
what it Omlts as well as to what 1t
contains. according to the democratic
idea, the people think for themselves
and select officials to carry out their
wishes. The voters are the sovereigns;
the officials are the servants, employed
for a fixed time and at a stated salary
to do what the sovereigns want done,
and to do It in the way the sovereigns
want it done. Platforms are entirely
IN harmony with this democratic idea.
A platform announces the party's pO-
sition on the questions which are at is
sue; and an official is not at liberty TO
use the authority vested in him TO
urge personal views which have not
been submitted to the voters for their
approval. If one is nominated upon a
platform which Is not satisfactory to
him, he must if candid, either decline
the nomination, or, in accepting it, pro
pose an amended platform in lieu Of
the one adopted by the convention. No
such situation, however, cOnfronts your
candidate. for the platform upon which
was nominated not only contains
nothing from which / dissent, but 1t
specifically outlines all the remedial
legislation which we can hope to Sc
cure during the next four years.
Republican Challenge Accepted.
The distinguished statesman who re-
celved the Republican nomination for
president said, IN his notification
speech. The strength Of the Republican
cause in the campaign at hand is the
fact that we represent the policies es-
sential to the reform of known abuses,
to the continuance Of liberty and true
prosperity, and that we are determined,
as our platform unequiyOcally declares,
to maintain them and carry them on
In the name Of the Democratic party,
accept the challenge, and charge that
the Republican party is responsible for
all the abuses which now exist in the
federal government. and that it is I'M
potent to accomplish the reforms which
are imperatiyely needed. Further, ]
can not concur i'm the statement that
the Republican platform unequiyOcally
declares for the reforms that are nee
essary: on the contrary, | affirm that 1t
openly and VIGOROUSLY disappoints the
hopes and expectations Of reformers,
whether those reformers be Republic
ans or Democrats. SO far did the Re
publican convention fall short of its
duty that the Republican candidate felt
It necessary to add to his platform In
several important particulars, thus re
.buking the leaders Of the party, upon
whose cooperation he must rely for
the enactment Of remedial legislation.
As shall, in separate speeches. dis
cuss the leading questions at Issue,
shall at this time confine myself to the
paramount question, and to the far
reaching purpose of our party, as that
purpose is set forth in the platform
Shall the People Ruler
Our platform declares that the over