The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1908-08-14
BRYAN
ACCEPTS
In Hearty Accord
With Platform.
SHALL THE PEOPLE RULE
That Is the OVeTshadOWing
Question.
REPUBLICANS RESPONSIBLE.
ALI Present Abuses a Result of
REPUBLICANS RESPONSIBLE.
All Present Abuses a Result of
Their Acts, md They Are Inl-
potent to Correct Them.

Mr.. Clayton and Gentlemen of the
Notification Committee: L can not ac-
cept the nomination which you official
ly tender, without first acknowledging
my deep Indebtedness to the Democrat
&c party for the extraordinary honor
which it has conferred upon me. Hav-
ing twice before been a candidate for
the presidency, in campaigns which
ended In defeat, q third nomination, the
result of the free and voluntary act of
the voters of the party, can only be eX-
planned by substantial and undis-
puted growth in the principles and pol
icies for which |, with a multitude of
others, have contended. AS these prin-
clples and policies have given me what
ever political strength L possess, the
action of the convention not only re-
news my faith in them, but strengthens
my attachment to them.
A Platform Is Binding.
/ shall, in the near future, prepare a
more formal reply 10 your notification,
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 plat
form. / endorse it in whole and in
part, and shall, if elected, regard its
declarations as binding upon me. And,
l may add, platform Is binding as to
what ii Omits as we'll as to what 1t
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 servants, employed
for a fixed time and at q stated salary
to do what the SOvereignS want done,
and to do IL in the way the sovereignS
In harmony with this democratic idea.
A platform announces the party's po-
sition on the questions which are at is
sue: and an official IS not at liberty to
use the authority vested in him TO
urge personal views which have not
approval. If one is nominated upon q
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
e,it IN 70,
candidate. for the platform upon which
/ was nominated not only contains
nothing from which / dissent but il
specifically outlines all the remedial
legislation which we can hope TO Sc
cure during the next four years.
Republican Challenge Accepted.
The distinguished statesman who re-
ceived the Republican nomination for
president said, in his notification
speech: The strength of the Republican
cause IN the campaign at hand is the
fact that we represent the policies eS-
sent'al to the reform of known abuses
TO the continuance OF liberty and true
prosperity, and that we are determined
as our platform unequivocally declares
TO maintain them and carry them on"
In the name of the Democratic party
1 accept the challenge. and charge that
the Republican party IS responsible for
all the abuses which now exist in the
federal government. and that II Is i'm
potent To accomplish the reforms which
are imperativelv needed Further.
can not conc : in the statement that
the Republ. an platform unequivocally
declares for the reforms that are nee
essary; on the contrary, / affirm that II
openly and VIGOROUSLY disappoints the
hopes and expectations Of reformers
whether those reformers be Republic
ans or Democrats. SO far did the Re
publican convention fall short Of It's
duty that the Republican candidate felt
It necessary TO add TO his platform IL
several important particulars. thus re
buking the leaders OF the party, upon
whose cooperation he must rely fol
the enactment OF remedial legislation.
AS / shall. in separate speeches. dis
cuss the leading questions at issue.
paramount question. and 10 the far
reaching purpose OF our party, as tha
purpose Is set forth in the platform
Shall the People Ruler
Our platform declares that the over