Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-09-29

remind you that your convention de-
liberately rejected by vote Of 9 to
the plank favoring publicity as tc
campaign contributions. Mr. Taf
has repudiated the action of the con-
vention and rebuked the members OF
the convention by declaring himself
in favor of a publicity law, but he IA
vors publicity after the election, while
we favor publicity before the election
Which do you regard as the better
plan-to let the people know before
the election what influences are at
work or to let them know after the
election?
Are you willing to say that any
public interest was served in 1904 by
concealing until after the election the
contributions made to the Republican
campaign fund by Mr.. Hartman and
those collected by him from others
Are you willing to say that the
publication before election Of the con-
tributions then made would have had
no effect on the election? AS have
said, we shall publish the names of
contributors above 500. Will you
ask your national committee to pub
lish before the election the contribu-
tions above 500? Or if you regard
this as too small a sum, the contribu-
tions above a thousand dollars, or If
this is also too small, the contribu-
tions above 10000? If not, what
what reason can you give to the pub
lie for not doing so? insist that our
willingness to let the public know the
sources from which we receive con-
tributions raises a presumption in
our favor that must be overcome be-
fore you can ask the people to accept
your statement that the law defying
corporations have no more to fear
from Republican success than from a
Democratic victory.
Bryan as Good as Taft.
I'm conclusion, you say that you ask
support for Mr.. Taft because he
stands for the moral uplift of the ma
ton; because his deeds have made
good his words, and because the pol
icies to which he is committed are as
immeasurable consequence alike to
the honor and the interests of the
whole American people. / dare to
compare my efforts for the moral up
lifting of the nation with his efforts;
my deeds with his deeds, and the pol
icies to which l am committed with
the policies to which he is committed,
and more than that, if 1 may assume
that he will follow in your footsteps,
dare to compare my ideal Of the pres
idency with his. 1 do not regard it as
proper for the president to use his
prestige, his influence or his patron
age to aid one member Of his party
as against another who aspires to Of
flee, and l regard it as violation of
the obligation that the president owes
to the whole people to use an office
that belongs to the whole people as a
party asset for the advancement Of a
personal friend and political protege.
Believing that the president should
not be tempted to use that power for
his own advantage, and 1t is equally
repugnant to the spirit of our institu-
tions that he should use it for any
one e1se's advantage tried to secure
an amendment to the Constitution
limiting the president to a single term
and l have announced in three cam
paigns that If elected, would not be
candidate for denomination. | be-
lieve that the occupant Of so high an
office, with such an enormous power
at his command, should be absolutely
free to devote himself unselfishly to
his country's welfare, and / am san
guine enough to believe that entrust-
ed with that power, 1 would be able
to make my administration so sue
cessful, that the members of my par
ty could, without interference from
me, select the one most worthy to
carry on the work begun by me-so
successful that the administration
would speak for itself, and that II
would not be necessary for me to de-
fend it in bulletins or pronunciamen-
tos, I think 1 could, in this way, give
to the members of the opposite party
as we'll as to the members of my own
party, a square deal
Very truly yours,
wv. ]. Bryan"