The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-20
H1cAGo. ILL, March 1s.-pc,
claring that the greatest OF

~ H1SASO, ILL, MdIcH ls.-iloS
claring that the greatest OF
present day evils is "the donii-
~ nation OF politics by the favor y
seeking corporations and
asserting that the Democratic party IS
the best qualified to undertake the task
of correcting this. William j. Bryan
tonight celebrated his forty-eishth
birthday by delivering a speech on
national issues before a big mass-meat-
ing In the Seventh Regiment Armory.
OIL Sixteenth Street
Mr.. Bryan took for his subject why
Democracy?" and after discussing the
records of President Roosevelt, Gov
ernor Hughes and Secretary Taft as
regards corporation Legislation, he an
swered the question by saying:
Because the Democratic party fa
the only party sufficiently large to give
hope of success and sufficiently demo-
cratic to give hope Of relief after
victory has been Won"
The speech by Mr.. Bryan was the
only one delivered at the meeting.
Garter H. Harrison, former Mayor OF
Chicago, presided. About 10000 per-
sons crowded into the big building.
and 1t was nearly an hour past the
scheduled time OF s o'clock when Mr..
Bryan began to speak.
Domination Of Corporations.
Mr.. Bryan said in part: Assuming
that reforms are necessary, what party
can best te intrusted with the work
of securing them? I beg to present
the claims of the Democratic party.
What are the evils to be >corrected2 the
greatest Of all the eyils-and 1t Is the
fruitful source OF almost all the other
evils--is the domination of politics OF
the favor seeking corporations. BY
/ n ma M "a
government. national and State. Thera
Is no question upon which the peo-
P1e are thinking, which does not to a
greater or less extent involve this ques-
ton; Shall the government be admin
istered in the interest of the whole
people by unpurchasable and moor
ruptibie representatives of the peo-
pie or shall the favor seeking cor
poratlons control the elections, raise
their representatives to power, and
through them exploit the country?
III the present situation Is satisfac-
tory: If the people are contented with
tho distribution of wealth, and with
| the predominating influences OF these
combinations, then there is no good
reason why the Republican party
should not be continued in power. for
1t has created the conditions which
now exist. and must have credit or
blame, according to whether these con-
ditions are desirable or undesirable.
| Republicans and Reform.
Il think can safely assert that con-
ditions are not satisfactory, and In sup
port of this assertion I can point to
/ the fact that remedial legislation is
| demanded by practically all Of the
| Democratic party and by very large
proportion of the Republican party.
| Whatever popularity the President has
| is due to the efforts that he has made
in the direction of reform, although
| those efforts have been spasmodic.
rather than continuous, and have not
been supported by hissown party. The
Democratic party can claim the right
| to carry out@these reforms-frst be-
cause that party Is almost unanimously
| in favor of reform, while in the Repub-
| lican party there is a very large MI
| nority. II not an actual majority,
| against any and all important reforms.
while the Republican party is spend
| ing its time between reformers and
standpatters, the Democratic party Sis
ready for action. Then. too, Demo-
cratic administration will. II elected.
enter office pledged to specific REFORMS
4 named In the platform. while the Ike 4
4 publican party will ask the people
I to trust it to carry out such reforms as
/ may be outlined after the election. IN
! the one case the people know what 70
4 expect; in the other case they are letl
4 in uncertainty.
l Df.sccts Their Positions.
4 "The difference between the Demo-
Il cratic nosition and the Republican posi-
Il tion can be illustrated by reference TO-
II the posItion taken by three prominent
Republicans. Take the Presidents posi-!
;ltion on national incorp poratlons. He
Ifavors the Incorporation of railways
and interstate commerce corporations
by the Federal government and by SO
doing ha ignores the right OF the state.
TO regulate corporations doing bustness
within the State. Now. the Democrats.
believe that is is better for the
/ the corporations to suffer such
annoyance as may be occasioned
by State legislation rather than that
the Individual shall he denied the pro-
I lection that comes from State legisla-5
tlon.
IF YOU will read the speeches Of Gov
ernor Hughes, you will find that they
are very general when they come to
the discussion OF ial legislation
and very earnest when they refer to
possible injustice to the corporations.
He Is Just now finding fault with fines:i
whether he has In mind the $4,000. 900
| fine or other fines. ! don't know. Ha
| speaks OF the injustice to the stock
(holders, and what has ha said about
the injustice that the stockholders have
/ permitted the corporations to work.
against the general public for gene
lration?
''Whsre are hts speeches denouncinS
the Standard Oil trust and the steel
TRUST, and the othertrustss The stock
i holders Gro not tho only innocent par-