The San Francisco call., 1908-08-26

ident in his recent speech of acceptance
affected the belief that the question,
charge of venality against the Amerl-
can electorate He affirmed. with great
emphasis. that under recent republican
administration the people have ruleu
without let or hindrance.
Will any intelligent man claim tnaI
there is or has been any substantial
diversity Of opinion in this country on .
the question as TO whether the tarlH
duty on wood pulp used IN the manu-
facture of paper should be reduced or
removed?
VICTORY OF PAPER TRUST
In this case the tax operated for the
benefit of the paper trust alone, allow
ing that combine to levy millions OF
tribute each year upon the newspapers
of the country and their readers me
press of the country, without regard 10
party, united in demanding relief The
people OF the republic unanimously sec
onded the demand. The president or
the United States threw the influence
of his great office in favor of the de-
mand of the press and the people. But
all without avail.
The dominant forces within the re-
publican party had established in the
lower house of congress parlia-
mentary condition, in the interest or
monopoly, under which the sole power
to determine whether measure should
be allowed to become q law or not was
lodged in the speaker of that body and
his committee on rules, and by the nat
of that one man the will of the press.
the people and the president was set
at naught. Behold the spectacle!
On one side $4,000, 900 of free people
demanding legislation to right an ad-
mitted wrong. On the other side.
few men engaged in public plunder.
aided by the dominating power within
the republican party, represented by
the presiding officer of the once popu-
lar branch Of congress. And the plum
a nd haS
ants prevail over the people of this
great republic. In this instance did the
people rule?
Time forbids the multiplication of in
stances where the popular will has
been defied by the real republican lead
ership-sometimes by the one man
the few representatives of monopoly
who dominate the senate.
REPUBLICANS DENOUNCED
Measure after measure-scores of
them-favored by the people of all par
ties-in many instances advocated
strenuously by the president, either
failed of passage or were so emascu-
lated by amendment as to utterly fail
to register the popular will.
The question Shall the people ruler"
is one which demands the serious and
are interested in the perpetration OF
our institutions.
That dominant power which now
has on many occasions defled the presi-
dent in cases where he has. on demand
of the masses, made sporadic efforts In
their behalf. In some instances he has
persuaded this handful of leaders to
compromise on their own terms with
the eighty millions of people whom he
assumed to represent; but in most cases
he has been absolutely powerleSS.
That dominant leadership elects the
speaker of the house. names the COM
mittees of the senate and is in full
vfded for the protection of entrenched
monopoly against the demands or the
people.
CAMPAIGN LITERATURE
It dictated the platform adopted by
that party In its national convention
this year, and after defying Mr. Roose-
Welt for three and half years and
killing or crippling nearly all his pro-
posed reform legislation, and having
received his unstinted denunciation
therefor, proceeded with the finest
irony TO indorse his administration.
after which it dictated a committee to
take charge of the campaign and is
now in full command of the party or
ganiZation.
This dominant leadership is now cir
culating two kinds of campaign litera-
ture-one being designed for the east
and the other for the west-the first
being placed in the hands of trust mag
mates. tariff beneficiaries. stock gam
blers and others who are supposed to
be enemies of the president, declaring
that Mr.. Taft is sane and safe" free
from the faults of Roosevelt, while the
second goes to the businessmen, the
farmers and laborers who are pre-
sumed to be admirers of the president,
and declare that Taft is Rooseyelt's
double" and may be safely counted
on to insist upon his policies and see
that they are carried out.
KERN SEES SUCCESS
I will not at this time discuss the
several planks of the national platform.
indorse the platform in all its parts.
and pledge my best endeavors toward
securing the reforms to which the
party is by its terms committed. As
the campaign progresses / shall dis
cuss its various features from time to
time as opportunity presents.
Gentlemen, we enter upon this cam
paign with every prospect of sue
cess. Never has a political platform
been received with such favor by all
classes of people, and never has can
didate been presented by any party
who was closer to the hearts of the
people than our matchless standard
bearer, William J. Bryan.
Let this be campaign OF education