Omaha daily bee., 1908-08-23

worth noting.
1. In the first place, Mr.. Bryan's
paramount issue, or at least the ex-
preston of It, changed completely from
March to July. In March the over
shadowing issue was Equal rights to
all and special privileges to none" In
July the overshadowing issue was,
Shall the people ruler" What the
oveTshadowing issue will be in Novem-
Der is yet to be disclosed.
2. In March Mr.. Bryan declared the
election of United States senators by
direct vote to be "the gateway to all
other national reforms" If this were
true, of course, no national reform
could be accomplished until the gate
way were first opened, and it was man
ifestly impossible to open the gate
within the four years of the one term
to which Mr.. Bryan had limited his
possible public service. So in July
the word "all' was removed from the
pledge, so that the Denver platform,
while favoring the popular election of
senators, still leaves the door of hope
open for the accomplishment Of some
reforms even in advance of this
achievement.
3. In March Mr.. Bryan was unqual-
iiedly for postal savings banks and
wanted his bank deposit guaranty
only as an additional measure of
safety. In July the postal savings
bank became a secondary c~onsidera-
ton and is held out as a possibility
only in case the guaranteed bank can
not be secured.
4. In March Mr., Bryan wen on rec
ord in favor of an income tax, author
ity to impose the same to be secured
by constitutional amendment and, in
the interval, in favor of a national in
heritance tax for which no constitu-
tional amendment would be necessary.
In July the hazy promise of an income
tardy process Of constitutional amend
ment was retained, but the national
inheritance tax to reach the Swollen
fortunes already in existence, which
congress is fully empowered to levy, is
discredited and Mr.. Bryan promises to
be bound by the. omission.
5. In March Mr.. Bryan was for dras-
tic railroad regulation. He wanted
both the nation and the various states
to fix railroad values, based only on the
cost of reproduction, while in July he
wanted this valuation to be made by
the Interstate Commerce commission
the physical value of the property, the
original cost of production and all
other elements of value. In March he
promised legislation to permit the is
sue of no more watered stock. In
July he discredited this pledge and
promises to be bound by the omission.
In March he wanted to reduce trans
p%ortation rates to a point yielding only
the roads at par when honestly capt.
talized. In July he favored such re-
duction in transportation rates as con-
ditions will permit and threw a sheet
to windward for the labor vote, adding
that care should be taken to avoid
a reduction that would compel a re-
duction of wages or prevent adequate
service"
6. The sudden switching Of Mr..
Bryan's position on labor and i%njunc-
lions during the Denver convention
was noticed at the time. In March, In
his Nebraska platform, he favored
without equivocation notice and full
hearing before the issue of the i%njunc-
ton writ, trial before another judge
and jury trials for all contempts COM
mitted outside OF the court room. In
July, in his Denver procurement, he
threw dust in the public eye by refer
ring vaguely to the platform pledges
of 1896 and 1904, and a judicial pro-
cedure act pending in congress twelve
years ago which is said to include all
the points in the Nebraska plank, al
though careful not to say so out loud.
7. In March Mr.. Bryan went on rec
ord for a law TO shut nonresident cor
porations out of federal courts and
compel them 10 submit their local dis
putes to state courts. In July he for
got entirely to insert this pledge in the
Denver platform and promises to be
bound by the omission.
These are only a few of the discrep-
ancies between Mr.. Bryan's two plat.
forms-the one on which he placed
himself in March and the one on which
he had himself nominated at Denver in
INV