Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-08-12
BRYAN
 ACCEPTS jn Hearty Accord
 With Platform. SHALL THE PEOPLE RULE That Is the OvershadOwing
 Question. REPUBLICANS RESPONSIBLE. 1
REPUBLICANS RESPONSIBLE.
All Present Abuses a Result of Their Acts, and They Are Inn-
 potent to Correct Them.

MT. Clayton and Gentlemen of the Notification Committee: I can not ac- cept the nomination which you official ly tender. without first acknowledging my deep indebtedness to the Democrat ic party for the extraordinary honor which it has conferred upon me. Hav- ing twice before been candidate for the presidency, in campaigns which ended in defeat, third nomination. the result of the free and voluntary act of the voters of the party. can only be ex- plained by a substantial and undis- puted growth in the principles and pol icies for which I, with multitude of others, have contended. As these prin- ciples and policies have given me what ever political strength I 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 to your notification, and. in that letter of acceptance, will deal with the platform in detail. It 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. l 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 it omits as well 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 stated salary to do what the sovereigns want done, and to do 1t in the way the sovereigns want 1t done. Platforms are entirely 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 been submitted to the voters for their approval. If one is nominated upon platform which is not satisfactory to him. he must. if candid, either decline the nomination, or. in accepting 1t, pro- 1ad FN1o n nf the one adopted by the convention. No such situation. however. confronts your candidate. for the platform upon which l was nominated not only contains nothing from which I dissent. but It specifically outlines all the remedial legislation which we can hope to se- 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- sential to the reform of known abuses. to the continuance of liberty and true prosperity and that we are determined. as cur platform uneGuivccally declares. to maintain them and carry them on.
 In the name Of the Democratic party. I accept the challenge. and charge that the Republican party Is responsible for all the abuses which now exist in the federal government. and that it is im- potent to accomplish the reforms which are impcrative'y needed. Further, l can not concur in the statement that The Republican platform unequlvocally declares for the reforms that are nee rTsary: on the contrary. I affirm that tt openly and hotoriously disappoints tine hopes and expectations of reform PTS. whether those refOrmeTs be Republic - ans or Democrats. So far did the Re publican convention fall short of it's duty that the Republican candidate felt 1t necessary to add to his platform in EeveFa! important particulars. thus re bHAin. the leaders of the party. upon whose cooperation he must rely fcr AHt EnaElElEAt Wl lNlllEaAasAl tE-ara=lAH4A-
 As shaii. h separate speeches. dis eIsss the leading questions at issue. l shah at this time confiue myself to the paramcunt gUssti1n. and 10 the far rraehinE purp1Sr Of OUT party. as that purpoSe is set forth in tile platform
 sAsH ths People RuI.7
 0-f platform declares tlIat fhe over shzrinwin= isSre Uhigh mznifeSts Ifseli in an the gaeStinnS now under discus kio1- is -Shail tlle Ieople ruie:- SC matter which way ue turn. no matter to what subject we aiIilress ourselves the sane s,EStio1 c11fTC1ts us: Sal tcs pcoTle c5a-r0i th,fr own govern. Eezf. a-d use that soyernnent fer ths prrer-sira af their rigatS a7d foE ths Frcmosiol of tkeir velfares c- shaI tas rsprss1sztires of r-eSIztO-y uezltI psE E251 . tsIe=se5esS p15-Ic, uaEs