Evening journal., 1908-09-15
BRYAN ATTACKS
TAFT'S RECORD
CaIISOn Republican Candidate
tC Explain His Position on
Certain Questions
SAYS TAFT CANNOT
ESCAPE THE ISSUES

By United Press Leased Special VIE.
PHILADELPHIA. Sept 15.--willam
]. Bryan, the Democratic presidential
candidate. to-day attacked Judge
Taft, his Republican opponent, and
openly accused him Of deliberate eva
sion and misrepresentation. He fur
ther assailed the judge on his record
as governor general of the Philippines,
and insisted that there was much to
explain in his record there, and espe-
cially in connect on with the PROPOSE
ton to guarante perpetual franchises
in the island to the Benguit railway.
Bryan read Judge Taft's answer to
his statement Of yesterday very care
fully to-day, especially that part that
referred to his instability. AT er con-
sidering it at length, he issued the fol-
lowing emphatic statement:
"Afr. Tan is lodging. ms cad OF de-
fining his position on public questions.
he is inquiring abou nv REQ ird as he
does about the public questions which
he has attempted to discuss. He ac-
cuses me of being chargeable and of
abandoning issues. g.et me refer to
the questions which have been dis
cussing.
Il began with the tariff questions
twenty-eight years. ago. and L have
been a tariff refo' ner all these years.
Mr.. Taft Is just beginning to see the
necessity for tariff reform.
Il began advocating the direct cleo
? ton of senator's as early as $780, and 1
have been advocating it ever since. In
his notification speech he announced
that he is personally inclined to this
This, so far as I know is his first ut
terance in favor OF this reform and he
makes it eighteen years after 1 began
work for it.
Il helped to draw the income tax
law Of 1894 and have been an advocate
OF the principles ever snice. He now
admits that the principle is sound.
Thus he comes to my proposition after
fourteen years of waiting.
II said in 1898, that the Filipinos
ought to have their independence. We
declared it to be the paramount issue
of 1900, and have ever since insisted
upon ultimate independence Of the
1'ilipiY os and Of an immediate dec'ar.y !
ton of the government, intentic n.
y Mr. Ts I his this year united ttat
'pendence, although h. postpones de-
livery of it for at least two genera
tions. I have maintained my position.
He has come around to it, 1 have also
discussed the Philippine question in
this campaign and called attention to
the fact that Mr.. Taft made mistake
OF $114.000,000 in his estimate OF the
cost Of Imperialism. In his notification
speech he put the cost at s6,OOO,O00 a
year. whereas the increase in the army
and navy alone amounts to more than
s120.0OO.OO0
"On the railroad question he has ex-
pressed himself as strongly as 1 have
He has said. and the Pre- sident also
has said, that government ownership
will follow If the rau.u5ds prevent
regulation. I have said the same thing
do not desire government ownership
I hope that the railroads will permit
regulation Our position differs only
in that he has more faith than have
in the willingness Of the railroads ia
be regulated, but we agree that the
subject of ownership is one that can
not be determined until effective regu-
laf IN has been tried, 50 that owner
sh p will be an issue. and have never
sought to make it an issue.
"He spends some time on the money
question. The money question has
been taken out of politics because the
unexpected discoveries OF gold have
given the increase which were de-
manded by the Republican party as
we'll as by the Democratic party. Mr.
Mckinley voted for free coinage wher
he was in Congress, and the Republi-
can platform Of 1896 contained q
promise OF international bi-metalism
The elimination of the money question
IS not due TO Republican legislation
but to an increase in the discovery OF
gold which has given an impetus tc
business throughout the world.
'AIr. Taft cannot escape the issues
Will he define his position on the labor
question, on the trust question and or
the other issues that are presented in
this campaign? He will not be permit.
ted to run away from them He has
accepted tho nomination OF his party
now let him take the people into his
confidence and interpret his platform
so that the public will know where h
stands and what he intends to do.
IF he prefers TO delvo into the past
rather than meet the issues Of TIN
present. win he explain the Bengui
railroad i'm the Philippines, and th'
perpetual franchises that he wanted t.
fasten upon the Filipinos with per
petual guarantee of income TO the cor
porations securing the franchises
VIII he explain his record on the iabo
question and his silence on the tariff
question and the trust question during
his official service at Washington?