The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-08-12
Mr.. Bryan's Acceptance Speech.

should make the most, during the cam
paign, of the sharp differences within
the Republican party; that he would
overlook no opportunity to emphasize
that Republican leadership includes
both the radical Roosevelt and the re-
dictionary Cannon; that if Roosevelt
dictated the Presidential candidate,
Cannon chose the Vice Presidential, and
the platform was made by the con-
servatives, and that Mr. Taft was com
PEELED to adopt those orphan issues
which Chairman Hopkins advised be
''taken TO Denver" by declaring his
personal Endorsement of them, despite
that his party had specifically rejected
them.
1t is to the development and ex-
position of these contradictions in the
Republican situation that Mr.. Bryan's
speech Of acceptance is mainly devoted
The failure Of the last Congressional
session to deliver the legislative goods
demanded by the President is the best
argument the Democrats can bring to
bear; and Mr.. Bryan presents vigor-
ously that, despite the national senti-
ment in favor of those reform meas
ures, and despite the tremendous influ-
ence which Mr.. Roosevelt had in the
Republican convention, that body made
a platform which Endorsed rather the
attitude of Congress than that Of ~
Executive.
Shall the people rule?" is the slogan
which Mr.. Bryan sounds in his keynote
address. He quotes from President
Roosevelt's famous message OF last
January to show that the President
realized that this was the issue; that
the struggle was between honest gov
eminent by the people, and corrupt ad-
ministration dominated by the inter
ests; and he protests that in this strug
gle the Republican party has accom-
plished nothing to its credit, nothing
which contains earnest of good inten-
tions for the future. 1t may be OBJ
served that Mr.. Bryan at this point is
hardly so candid as would beft one
in his high position. The Republican
party has accomplished a great deal
toward betterment of these conditions,
for the Republican party is entitled to
the credit for what Theodore Roosevelt
has forced into the statute books or
through the courts.
Mr.. Bryan makes a strong statement
of the case as to tariff revision, from
the Democratic point of view. He
makes plain that there Will be small
chance for real, effective revision I'M
der a Republican administration; and
he is right, assuming that the present
control of the House of Representa-
tives shall continue. But even at that,
MIR. BTyan's own party, when it was
carried into power pledged to tariff re
vision, convicted itself of ''perfdy and
flishonor," on the word of leader who
used every means at his command to
force better results-just as President
Bryan would do, and just as President
Roosevelt has done The truth is that
the outlook for tariff revision in the
interest of the consumer, and in the
largest interest of American industry
and trade is bad, whether the election
goes Republican or Democratic.
On the issue of campaign publicity,
Mr.. Bryan has everything his own
way. The rejection of the plank at
Chicago and its adoption at Denver; the
Democratic promise OF publicity be-
fore election" and the Republican
promise of publicity after election
these things cannot be given any con
struction which does not favor De-
mocracy. On this issue everything is
creditable TO the Democrats, and little
is creditable to the Republicans.
Mr. Bryan's address emphasizes
sharply what this newspaper has
pointed out a good many times, that
the most acute need of this country is
what may be called parliamentary re-
form. The country gets good enough
men for Presidents; the executive
branch of the Government averages a
good deal higher in ability and disin-
terestedness than does the legislative.
The need is to make Congress more re-
sponsive to public sentiment and the
manifest necessities of the nation. At
this point the Democrats again appear
TO advantage, for they promise popular
election of Senators and revision of the
rules of the House. And again their
record is against them, for the Crisp
House practically adopted the Reed
rules! However, parliamentary re-
form is coming, surely and manifestly,
and if it doesn't come through oae
party it viii come through the other.