The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-08-07
PASTE POT
 AND SHEARS" Chairman Clayton Talks of Taft's Speech. CALLS IT swEAK AND INANE" The Republican Party is on the
 Defensive. chairman ciayton Who win Head the Notification Committee Is on His Way ts Lincoln. Where
 He wnI Make Notiaca-
 tisn Address.
CALLS IT awEAK AND NANE'

After the country had been stirred by narrowing descriptions of Candi- date Taft's strenuous work at Hot Springs in preparing his speech of acceptance we were pafned and sur- prised to find that the much heralded speech which took so much work was 8 production any ordinary man could have made, if he had been equipped with a paste pot and a pair of shears. It was nothing but a mo- notopous paralielhng of the platforms of the Democratic and Republican parties. except a few paragraphs in which personal views of party dec- larations were presented and in those personal views we recognized more of Roosevelt than we did of Taft"
 Tn this way did Hon. H. D. Clayton. chairman of the Denver Convention and Chairman of the Committee to notify MT. Bryan. discuss the recent address of William H Taft in ac- cepting the Republican nomination for President. MT. Clayton character ized the speech of acceptance as weak and inane."
 Tt was convincing in one respect, however. It established the fact that the Republicans have beat a retreat and that they are on the defensive, al- most before a blow is struck or a shot fired in the campaign. We had a right to expect a better speech from Taft. Where he departed from the use of the pastepot and the sheers. he turned his back on the action of his party at Chicago and presented personal views on the questions. which will be most prominent in the com ing campaign, or were the views he presented the views of Roosevelt?
 His party adopted a washy dec- laration on the issuance of court in- junctions--a declaration which means nothing and was intended to mean nothing. MT. Taft says he is in fa- vor of having a jury trial in all ceses of conservative contempt of court. If he Is sincere. he is in ad- vance of his party. His party point edly and emphatically refused to make a declaration at Chicago. Mir. Taft says, too, that he is in favor of publicity of all campaign contribu- tions. Then he is not in line with lis party for the Republican Conven- tion refused to adopt such plank.
 "The patent bid for votes made In these statements of Candidate Taft show that his party is alarmed and on the defensive. It requires no un- usual wisdom to see the fine Italian hand of Theodore Roosevelt running through the entire speech. platitudes and all. Nor is any unusual wisdom EGuuAEGu pO SSc tiiSLI bhc AACVuUAASAus realize the weak situation to which the party has been brought by a dag rant disregard of It's responsibilities and a reprehensive abuse of it's power.
 "The cause of Democracy grows stronger each day. The Republicans are right now engaged in a desrer- ate attempt to head of the growing sentiment for the Denver platform, and candidates. For the first time in a number of years the Republicans are fleeing a united. organized and solidiaed Democracy and they know what that means. am confident of a Democratic victory in November"
 Mfr Clayton came in last night from Eufaula. where he has been spending a couple of weeks with his family, his neighbors and his friends. He is on his way by easy stages to Lincoln where he will head the committee to notify Mir. Bryan of his nomination by the Democrats at Denver. Before reaching Lincoln Mir. Clayton will