The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-06-21
Takes Occasion to Point Out
In the Commoner, Its Weak
nesses to Aid Democrats in
The Coming Campaign.
R0OSEVELT'S WISHES
WERE NOT OBEYED.
Many of Things Roosevelt Fa-
vored, His Admirer Points
Out, Were Not Needed by
The Convention.

Lincoln, Neb.. June ao.-'In full rec
treat" is Mr.. Bryan's diagnosis OF the
work of the Chicago convention. In
an editorial for the Commoner, re-
leased for publication today. he says:
The republicans who attended the ma
tional convention as spectators and
Joined in the demonstration of Presi-
dent Roosevelt and Senator Lafollette.
must have felt indignant as they
watched the panic-stricken delegates
running after each other in their ef-
fort to get away from the Lafollette
reforms, some of which had been In
dorsed by the president himself.
Congressman Cooper, of Wisconsin,
brought in minority report signed by
himself alone. Fifty two members of
the committee signed the majority and
one signed the minority report. The
republican party will find the ratio of
80 to l a very embarrassing one to
deal with in their coming campaign
Mr.. Cooper's report contained a decla-
ration in favor of publicity as to cam
paign funds. II was lost by vote
of SS to 81. more than o to /. and yet
the president had been advocating leg
islation in favor of publicity as to cam
paign contributions and Secretary
Taft wrote for II. How fortunate IL
was that Secretary Taft's letter was
finally discovered and published.
Senator Burrows, the man to whom
the Taft letter was addressed. was the
temporary chairman OF the convention.
and the convention over which he pre-
sided, turned down the publicity plank
by vote of o to /.
Another plank of the LaFollette
platform, authorized the ascertaining
of the value of railroads. And yet
President Roosevelt has advocated this
very proposition. Here is a retreat on
the railroad question.
The Injunction plank adopted by
the republican convention is a retreat
from the position taken by the presi-
dent and from the position taken by
Secretary Taft In his speeches. Here
is the third retreat. The president
has advocated the income tax as
means of preventing swollen fortunes
and of equalizing the burdens OF gov
ernment. The republican platform
is silent on this subject. VIII the re-
publican voters follow the president in
his just demand, or will they follow
the republican organization in retreat
ing from it?
The president advocated an inher-
itance tax. but the republican conven-
tion is silent on that subject Was
the president ahead of the republican
party in advocating this reform, or has
the republican party receded from the
presidents position?
I'm the presidents message to con-
gress last spring, he presented an in
dictment against the conspiracy form
ed among the great law breakers to
prevent the enforcement of the law and
to evade the punishment provided by
law. The platform adopted by the re-
publican convention contains no init.
nation of danger. Was the president
mistaken when he issued his defiance
or are the republican managers de-
ceived when they think that an arous-
ed public will calmly contemplate the
Entertainments Of predatory wealth?
The convention by a vote of S66 to
IL. more than 20 to 1, voted down the
plank in favor of the popular election
Of United States senators. It has
been endorsed by nearly two-thirds OF
the states Of the union. and yet this
reform is rejected by 20 to l vote in
a republican national convention. Mil.
lions of republicans have enlisted at
the presidents call to arms. and ars
ready to march forward. Will they
furl their banners and take back mere
ly because the president acquiesces in
! the sounding of a retreatr'