Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1908-09-18
BRYAN REPLIES
TO TAFT EULOGY
BY Roosevelt
SAYS IT IS VALUELESS UNLESS
PRESIDENT AGREES TO REMAIN
IN WASHINGTON.
WANTS NOMINEE TO SPEAK.
Declares Few Sentences from Republican
Candidate Are Worth More Than
Commendatory Letter.
LABOR AND ANTITRUST LAWS.

BALTIMORE, Md, Sept. 14.-"A few
plain, simple sentences from Mr.. Taft
will be worth more than the eulogy that
the President pronounces. The Presl-
dents endorsement is of no value UNI
less the President will agree to stay in
Washington and see that Mr.. Taft
makes good"
In these words, William J. Bryan
summed up his opinion of the letter OF
President Roosevelt commendatory OF
Mr.. Taft, soon after the Democratic
candidate arrived in this city.
1T was expected, of course" said Mr..
Bryan, that President Roosevelt would
support Mr.. Taft. He could hardly do
less in view of that fact that he select
ed him as the administration candidate
and supported him with all the influence
that the administration could bring to
bear. The Presidents letter, however,
may be objected to as irrelevant, imma-
terial and not the best evidence. IT Mr..
Taft were dead, it would be interesting
to know from Mr.. Roosevelt what he
knew of Mr.. Taft's opinions and work,
but as Mr.. Taft is alive and able to
speak for himself it is hardly necessary
for Mr.. Roosevelt to tell us what Mr..
Taft will do.
"Taft Amended Platform"
MIR. Taft is running upon a platform
which was SO unsatisfactory that he had
to amend it in several important particu-
lars, and yet even as amended it gives
the public no definite idea as to what
Mr.. Taft stands for.
Mr.. Taft also has made some speech
es and promises to make some more.
The ones he has already made have not
thrown any light upon the political situa-
ton but it is to be hoped that he will
yet conclude to define his position with
sufficient clearness to enable the public
to know what he stands for. it is not
sufficient for the President to say that
Mr.. Taft is a friend of labor.
Antitrust Law and Labor.
'"That is subject upon which the
| laboring man is entitled to an opinion
and Mr.. Taft's friendship is to be deter
mined not by the Presidents endorse
| ment but by the measures which Mr..
Taft advocates. Mr.. Taft believes that
| the labor organization should come I'M
ucI Tic OpCIdI1OA VI inc dAIl-IA uSl Ia w,
thus dealing with the men who belong
| to the labor organization as if they were
merchandise, for the antitrust law deals
| with the monopoly of the products OF
labor
"Mr. Taft is opposed to trial by jury
| in cases of indirect contempt, thus deny
ing to the laboring man a safeguard
| which is guaranteed to every man tried
in criminal court. Mr.. Taft does not
agree with the laboring man in regard to
the use of the injunction in labor dis
putes. No words of praise from the
President can change Mr.. Tafts. attitude
| on this question, or make the attitude
| more acceptable to the wage earners.
Roosevelt Is Criticised.
"Mr. Taft's position on the trust ques-
ton is not changed by the Presidents
endorsement. The President himself has
not succeeded in putting any trust mag
| mates in the penitentiary and only few
Of the trusts have been disturbed. 1t
Mr.. Taft is no more successful than the
| President in his attack on the trusts, he
| will not satisfy the expectations of the
public. There are more trusts i'll the
country today than there were when
Roosevelt was inaugurated and Mr.. Taft
favors a weakening rather than
strengthening of the antitrust law for
he has advocated an amendment that
will limit the operation of the law to I'M
reasonable restraint of trade
son the tariff question Mr.. Taft has
failed to express himself with clearness.
| The Republican platform does not use
the word reduction. 1t only promises
revision. and Mr.. Taft has construed
that to mean that some schedules will
be lowered and some raised, but there
is no intimation that the average will
| be lower or higher than it is now.
"Pre1dent Must Remain"
"And so in regard to all the questions
which are at issue. Mr.. Taft must
make his position known. He cannot
rely upon the Presidents endorsement
If Mr.. Taft had a reform record of his
own he would not need to be endorsed
| by the President and the President S
endorsement is of no value unless the
President will agree to stay in Wash
ington and see that Mr.. Taft makes
good"