Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-06-21
Opens Fire, on the Repub-
liCan Platform in the
COmIlOnef
He Names Seven Instances
Wherein He Claims Re-
pubs Reiterated
This May Be Considered
the First Gun Of the
Campaign

Lincoln, Neb., June 20, Under the
caption, Sin Full Retreat = William
Jennings Bryan in the next issue Of
the Commoner will discuss the Repub.
4 1ican convention, as follows:
9'The Republicans who attended the
national convention as spectators and
Joined in the demonstration in favor Of
President Roosevelt and Senator La.
Toilette, must have felt indignant as
y they watched the panic-stricken dele
4 cations running over each other in
their effort to get away from LaFol-
lette reforms some OF which had been
Endorsed by the president himself.
Congressman Cooper Of Wisconsin,
representing the LaFo1lette men,
brought in a minority report signed
/ by himself alone. Fifty-two members
of the committee signed the majority
report and one signed the minority
report. 5,f slSs
aThe Republican party win find the
ratio OF fifty-two 10 one q very Gem
barrassing one to deal with in the
coMing campaign.
Mr.. Cooper's report contained q
declaration in favor OF publicity as to
campaign funds. 1t was lost by a
vote of $50 to "a, more than 8 to 1,
= and yet the president has been advo-
-I- *.
eating legislation in favor OF. publicity
as to campaign contributions, and Sec
rotary Taft wrote alstter to Mr.. Bur
rows advocating the passage Of the
publicity bill.
How fortunate it was that Score
tary Taft's letter was finally discov.
\ cred and published. Senator Burrows,
the man to whom the Taft letter was
addressed, was temporary chairman
Of the convention, and the convention
over which he presided turned down
the publicity plank by a vote Of to /.
Who will deny that, on this subject,
the Republican party Is retreating?
Another plank of the LaFollette
platform authorized the ascertaining
OF the value Of railroads This plank
was lost by a vote OF ST to 66, nearly
15 to 4, and yet President Roosevelt
has advocated this very proposition.
Here is retreat on the railway ques-
4 tor" is5:s5 5s3 .ls3 "
In another column reference is
made to the Injunction plank.
Z "The injunction plank adopted by
+ the Republican convention is q retreat
4 from the position taken by the presi-
dent and from the position taken by
S Secretary Taft in his speeches, al.
4 though neither of them went as far as
they ought to have gone in their sf-
fort to prevent what is known as
government BY Injunction Here Is
the third retreat.
The president had advocated an
income tax as a means OF preventing
swolln fortunes and eQualizing the
burdens OF the government. The Re
publican platform is silent ON the sub
ject, Was the president right in the
position he took? II so, then the con.
vention was wrong In not indorsine
him. VIII the Republican voters fol
low the president in this just demand,
or will they follow the Republican or.
ganization In retreating from IT?
The president advocated an inner.
itance tax, but the Republican con,
vention - silent on that subject. Was
the president ahead Of the Republican
party In advocating reform, or has
the Republican party receded from the
presidents position? Did the presi
dent give q false alarm on this ques,
ton. or has the party sounded a re.
treat?
In the presidents message to con
grsss last spring he presented an In.
dictment against the conspiracy form,