Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-08-12

Continued from rage One.)
of the platform adopted by the demo-
cratic convention at Denver, and re-
quest the secretary to read the formal
letter of notification"
Indebted to the Party.
In his response, Mr.. Bryan said:
MIR. Clayton and Gentlemen OF the
Notification Committee: l can not ac-
cept the nomination which you Off
cially tender, without first acknowl-
e6ging my deep Indebtedness to the
democratic party for the eXtraordin-
sry honor which it has conferred upon
me. Having twice before been can
didate for the presidency, IN cam
paigns which ended in defeat, third
nomination, the result of the free and
voluntary act of the voters of the
party, can only be explained by sub
stantial and undisputed growth in the
principles and policies for which |,
with a multitude of others, have con-
tended. AS these principles and poll
cies have given me whatever political
strength | possess, the action of the
convention not only renews my faith
in them, but strengthens my attach
ment to them.
More Formal Reply Later.
81 shall, in the near future, prepare
a more formal reply to your notiffca-
ton, and, in that letter of acceptance,
will deal with the platform in detail.
1t is sufficient, at this time, to assure
you that l am in hearty accord with
both the letter and the spirit of the
platform. l endorse it in whole and
in part, and shall if elected, regard
its declarations as binding upon me.
And, may add. a platform is bind
ing as to what it omits as well as to
what it contains. According to the
democratic idea, the people think for
themselves and select officials to carry
out their wishes. The voters are the
sovereigns; the officials are the serv-
ants, employed for a fixed time and
at stated salary to do what the SOW
ereigns want DONE and to do it in the
way the sovereigns want it done Plat
forms are entirely in harmony with
this democratic idea A platform an
nounces the party's position on the
questions which are at issue; and an
official is not at liberty to use the
authority vested in him to urge per
sonal views which have not been sub
mitted to the voters for their approval.
If one is nominated upon a platform
which is not satisfactory to him. he
must, if candid, either decline the
nomination, or in accepting it. pro-
pose an amended platform in lieu of
the one adopted by the convention.
No such situation, however, confronts
your candidate, for the platform upon
which l was nominated not only con-
tains nothing from which I dissent.
but it specifically outlines all the rem
edial legislation which we can hope
to secure during the next four years.
Republican Challenge Accepted.
"The distinguished statesman who
received the republican nomination
for president said, in his notification
speech: The strength of the repub
lican cause in the campaign at hand
is the fact that We represent the poll
cies essential to the reform of known
abuses, to the continuance of liberty
ard true prosperity, and that we are
determined, as our platform unequivo
cally declares, to maintain them anG
carry them on
I'm the name of the democratic
party, l accept the challenge, anG
charge that the republican party is re
sLonsible for all the abuses which
now exist in the federal government
and that it is impotent to accomplish
the reforms which are imperatively
needed. Further, | can not concur il
the statement that the republican plat
form unequivocally declares for the
reforms that are necessary: on the
contrary, l affirm that it openly ant
VIGOROUSLY disappoints the hopes ant
expectations of reformers. whether
those reformers be republicans or dem
ocrats. So far did the republican con
vention fall short of its duty that the
republican candidate felt it necessary
to add to his platform in several i'm