Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-23

nounced militarism and Imperialism: but
this year he was advised that the visit of
our navy to the Pacific coast had aroused
such an interest in the navy. had mace III
popular on that coast, that MS faclIiC
friends persuaded him to approve plank
in the platform for an adequate navy TOT
the protection of the Pacific coast: JUST
what he means by this is n little dlfncult
to tell What the republican party means
is clear. 1t means an increase IN the
forces of the navy, and yet, with charac
teristic inconsistence. Mr.. Bryan. as al
ready said attacks the republican. party
for making suitable appropriations Tor the
increase of our naval force.
For Government Ownership.
.In 1906 Mr.. Bryan went around the
world. and his return was heralded with
the statement that in his visit around the
world. he had so gained information and
knowledge that he had become safe and
sane; that he was a conservative. and ali
the democratic party awaited his coming
with great interest. Upon his arrival lie
dispelled this erroneous impression by de
ciaring that he was convinced that the
only solution of the railroad problem uitl-
mately would be government OWNERSHIP,
He had previously declared in favor of a
national initiative and referendum, and
also in favor of the election of federal
Judges.
"AU these most radical propositions
have now been excluded from the demo-
cratic platform. They do not meet such
popular approval to justify their be-
ing brought forward as means OF ac-
quiring office in this campaign, but they
illustrate the character of the man who
proposes them; they show the instability
and var;a bility of his views. and they
justify the fear that so many people of
this country have in respect to the dam
ger to which the public veal may be ex-
posed should he be put at the helm of
the pilot
What Bryan Asks.
"And now, with the record of promises
and prophecies unfufilled for period
of twelve years, with this record of a
hunt for an issue upon which to achieve
the presidency, with this record of re-
pudiaton of negation, of running away
from national responsibilities, Mr.. Bryan
comes forward and asks that the people
now give him an opportunity to put into
operation new reforms in respect to
trusts and in respect to guaranty of bank
deposits. wholly untried, wholly theoreti-
cal, and on their face bearing evidence
of their impracticability, and of having
been devised by the ready brain of one
looking for plausible arguments rather
than real reforms.
He only in qualified way approves
the postal savings banks recommended
by the republican platform, which is a
tried and proved means of encouraging
the wage Garner and small farmer to
make deposits in a bank absolutely Sc
cure: but much prefers a system which
takes mans money to pay another
mans default, and which instead of
strengthening our banking system will
break it down by destroying the value of
the banking character and experience and
capital and offering inducement to reck-
less and speculative bankers without
character or capital.
"Not a Safe Man"
acter as it is understood by a twelve
years acquaintance with him have i'm
pressed the business community of this
country and those whose judgment de-
termines whether or not capital shall be
invested, that he is not safe man with
whom to try experiments in government
that he loves financial theories that are
full of sophStry and are impractical; that
he advances propositions with but little
sense of responsibility as to how they
may be carried out in practice, and that
he gives but little attention to the wei
fare of the conservative business COM
munity in his suggestions of reform. Ger
tainly his record justified this judgment
of him by the business men.
IF he were to be elected, unquestion-
ably because of his record, however much
he may seek to pose as conservative
because of his record, because of the
failure OF the theories which he had pro-
posed for the last twelve years, his cleo
ton will mean paralysis of business.
and we should have a recurrence of the
disastrous business conditions of the last
democratic administration"