The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-10-20
War Secretary Attacks Policies
 of William J, Bryan
PRESIDENT NOT HIRED MAN
General Wright criticises 5ryan's Ut- terances Because They "Tickle the e Groundlngs, But Cause the
 Judcious to Grieve."

New York, October 19-Seldom has Will liam Jennings Bryan been so severely ar raigned during the present campaign as he was here tonight by Gen. Luke E. Wright secretary of war, who addressed a large meeting at Terrace Garden. General Wright, who was introduced as democrat having the honor of hold l ing a cabinet position under a republi- can administration" was greeted with enthusiastic cheering when he appeared on the platform and his speech was repeat edly interrupted by cheers and applause. l The speaker entered vigorously into the principal issues of the campaign, con demning Bryan in sharp terms for the latter's reference in recent speech | to the President as the hired man." General Wright said that such statements "ticlxled the groundlings, but made the 1 malicious grieve." He then outlined the powers of the President in an endeavor to show that the President is not | hired man but the "chef ruler of tho party"
 "As has been well said" the secre- tary added, fin many respects he is | vested with powers and duties as large as most sovereigns and, in fact, may 1 affect the fortunes and future of his people to a degree equal to that of most of the crowned heads of the civilized world"
 He then made some comparison of the material points of the platforms of the two great parties in those particular parts in which they are in conflict
 The omission of the democratic party platform to declare for revenue tariff only, Secretary \. right said, was not accidental but was intended to present a plank upon which democratic free trad CTS and protectionists alike could stand.
 The secretary added:
 Protection Favored.
 q said this because it is matter of common notoriety that there is very considerable, and l may say, growing element in the democratic party which | favors reasonable protection to American industries. We know that there are many thousands who habitually vote the | democratic ticket in the eastern states especially who are for moderate protec- tion, call it whatever name you please, and we know also that in the other great sections of the country and especially in the south where mining and manufactur- ing are being developed by leaps and bounds, and where sugar. wool, lumber and various other products receive the benefits of protection, democratic votes are in favor of a continuance in some form or other of the protective policy. It must also not be overlooked that there exists a strong feeling among the masses of the republican voters, especially in the central and far western states, all of whom are protectionists, that many of the existing tariff schedules are too high and should be immediately lowered" :"
 The real question, the speaker said. was which of the two candidates could be best relied on to make an honest re- vision. He was persuaded, he declared, that if MT. Bryan's influence Is controll- ing and he can give direction to tariff | legiston, the strong probability is there will be an unsettling of all the large in- terests of the country. while MT. Taft, he said, would not impose upon the shoulders of that great mass of American people, who are consumers and who chief ly pay the freight, any unconscionabe burdens.
 Tariff Plank RidicuIed.
 The secretary ridiculed the feature of the tariff plank in the democratic plat form, which proposes to put on the free list trust controlled products. declaring that it reminded him of the proposition to cure of indigestion by giving the patient rough rats. It illustrated, he declared. the superficial manner in 1 which MT. Bryan proposes to deal with evils which everybody sees, and his readi- ness to apply remedy so out of pro- portion to the evil as to be destructive, or so inadequate as to be worthless.
 The speaker adverted to what he said | o1, to haf bop lad i Mir. Bryan's latest fad-the creation of 1 a fund by tax upon national banks for l the prompt payment of private depositors 1 in these banks with arrangement for 1 participation in the scheme by state banks Mir. Bryan, he said, evidently re- | garded with paternal fondness this latest 1 offspring of his prolific brain, and is in- l clined to make it what he calls a para 1 mount issue He added
 Any such scheme would probably fail l to work even if there were the utmost | confidence in the solvency of the govern ment. Whether such confidence would exist in the event MT. Bryan had the naming of the secretary of the treasury. and if the man he named were imbued with his theories of fnance--a man such | as Governor Haskell of Oklahoma, for | instance. is an interesting question and l calls for reflection
 Injunction Matters.
 Secreary Wright then paid some atten- | ton to the question of government by injunction and said the blanks of both the democratic and republican platforms upon this point left much to be desired l in point of clearness. The point of the | whole matter, he said, is that MT. Bryan | seeks to obtain the vote of organized la bor upon the idea that he is an especial friend and champion. whilst Judge Taft is their enemy. He followed this up with a bitter attack on MT. Bryan's attitude on the Philippine question which Sec 1 retary Wright declared has been extra ordinary Mir Bryan's extreme utter l ances in the United States. the Secre- | tary said, were scattered far and wide among the Filipinos, and unquestionably