The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-10-01
CAyTIGATION OF TAFT
NEATLY ADMINISTERED
Mr.. Bryan Says That His Republican
Opponent Has Adopted Views Not
His Own and Is Flying
Under False Coors.


arrival here late today Wiil'am ]. Bryan
received rousing reception. 1t being
me-conning week, a large crowd was on
hand to greet him. He was provided with
q special cowboy escort, headed by
band and was driven through the streets
to the hotel amid deafening cheers. His
speech, delivered from the courthouse
steps, was devoted mainly to a castiga-
ton of Mr.. Taft, whom Mr.. Bryan
charged with having borrowed ideas from
him. Il can say without immodesty,'
he declared, that l have had a part in
his education. | have helped to convert
him from the error of his ways, helped
to lead him out into the light on several
questions.
Mr.. Taft, however, he said. had not
been an apt pupil but had been behind
his class on several questions. The re-
marks were called forth by a recent ut
terance on the part of Mr.. Taft that the
democratic candidate had done nothing
but talk.
In part. Mr.. Bryan spoke as follows:
Mr. Taft says that l have not done
anything but talk, while he has been put
ting his ideas into practice in an admin
istrative way. While it is true that he
has held office more than | nave and,
L. Iefore, has had more opportunity TO
put ideas into practice, / have had more
opportunity to see my ideas borrowed than
he has had to see his borrowed.
What idea of his own has he put into
practice with success? He was a judge
upon the bench. Was the injunction idel
his, or did he get it from somebody else?
He put il into practice, but he put 1t into
practice in such way that he has ale-
mated the wage earners of the country.
He has put coonialism into practice. Was
that his idea? No, he got it from Europe,
and initiated in the Philippines what
Great Britain did in this country before
tlie war -fui asisicf3enuenee.
Now, let me show what ideas he has
borrowed. He has abandoned the idea
of a permanent colonial system and ad-
Vocates the ultimate independence OF tne
Philippines Where did he get that idea
1t is not original with him. He did not
get it from the republicans, for they have
never put it in their platforms Where
did he get it? He got it from the DEM
ocratic platform, and have had as much
to do with the present platform as any
one else.
HE says he is in favor of an income
tax. Where did he get the Idea? 1t IS
NOT his own 1t was in the democratic
platform of 1896 It is in our platform tnlS
year 1t Is not in his platform. He can
not claim originality in the presentation
of this idea. | have spoken on the SUD-
ject earlier than he has and oftener than
he has and more earnestly than he has.
HE says that he is personally inclined
to favor the election of senators by direct
vote of the people. That is not an original
idea with him. 1t is not with his party.
1t was with the democratic party, which
first secured an Endorsement of that IDEA
by the House of Representatives IN Wash-
ington 1t is in three democratic plat
forms and | helped to put it there. 1t
in, first congressional
years ago. and [ wrote the platform my
self.
"Publicity as to campaign contributions
Is another idea that he has borrowed, and
if he has not borrowed it from me, he
has borrowed 1t from the democratic
platform and not from his republican
associates, for his own party repudiated
the idea by a vote of nine to one L
went to Washington and made an argu-
nent before the committee OF the House
having this bill in charge some time be-
fore his letter to Burrows and the letter
to Burrows was not public one HIS
convention turned down a publicity plank,
his associates are not willing to have any
publicity at all. He comes halfway to-
ward our platform. but he does not come
far enough, for we want publicity before
the election and he wants it after the
election But what is his reason for post
poning publication until after the selec-
III
Roosevelt gives, that publication before
tbe election would lead to unjust sus-
picions?
81 challenge him to ndorse Mr.. Roose-
velt's proposition that the voters have SO
little sense that they must not be al
lowed to know who are contributing 10
campaign funds for fear they will draw
wrong conclusions He now claims to be
in favor of prosecuting the trusts. Where
does he get that idea? He cannot get
II from former republican platforms. but
he can get it from democratic platforms
and from democratic speeches. Let MIN
tell of his first utterance against the
trusts and I will promise to ind an
earlier democratic utterance. lie is IN
favor of tariff revision, and he says the
revision will probably be downward
..If he is In favor of reducing the tariff,
where did he get the idea? Not from the
republicans, for they have raised the
tariff and oppose reduction. Ii he is IN
favor of reduction he has borrowed an
other democratic idea I will give him
credit for being entirely republican on the
labor question for he has not only re-
fused to borrow democratic ideas on that
subject but he has shown himself to be
hostile to nearly every request that the
laboring men have made L Will also
give him the credit of being republican
on the question of the guaranty OF bank
deposits. He stands with the-big bankers
and against the depositors on this sub
ject, and he is welcome to the claim OF
originality, if he desires to make it,
Now, l have mentioned a few or the
ideas that he has borrowed from the DEM
ocratic party and as | have, for many
years, been advocating these ideas which
he has borrowed, l can without immod-
esty say that I have had part In his
education. / have helped to convert MIN
from the error of his ways, helped to
lead him out into the light on several
questions. He has not been an apt pupil,
he has been behind his class on several
of these questions, but still he shows
signs of Improvement and we must en-
courage where we can. He cannot prom
ise you a single thing in the way of re-
form that has not been presented In a
better plan by the democrats. So far as
s he is concerned, l can claim to be a
pioneer. have been ahead of him from
one to eighteen years