Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-08-12

ACCORD WITH PLATFORM
Declares That the Paramount Question
is "shall the People Rule ?"-Repub.
lieans Responsible for the Present
Abuses, According to the Democratic
Nominee.

Spouse to the committees official no.
tiiication today of his nomination for
the presidency by the democratic con-
vention, w. j. Bryan said:
Mr.. Clayton and Gentlemen OF the
Notification Committee: can not ac.
cept the nomination which you official
ly tender, without first acknowledging
my deeptindebtedness to the Democrat
ic party for the extraordinary honor
which it has conferred upon me. Hav-
Ing twice before been candidate for
the presidency, In campaigns which
ended In defeat. a third nomination, the
result OF the free and voluntary act OF
the voters of the party, can only be ex-
planned by substantial and undis-
puted growth III the principles and pol
icies for which 1, with a multitude Of
others, have contended. AS these prin-
ciples and policies have given me what
ever political strength possess, the
action of the convention not only re-
news my faith in them, but strengthens
my, attachment to them.
/. A Platform 10 Binding.
I shall, in the nenr future, prepare
more formal reply to your notification.
and, in thnt letter of acceptance, will
deal with the platform IN detail. 1t Is
sufficient, at this time, to assure you
that am in hearty accord WITH both
the letter and the spirit of the plat.
form. endorse 1t in whole and in
part, and shall, IL elected. regard its
declarations as binding upon me. And,
may add. platform is binding as to
what it omits as we'll us to what 1t
contains. According to the democratic
idea, the people think for themselves
and select officials to carry out their
wishes. The voters are the sovereigns:
the officials are the servants, employed
for a fixed time and ut d stated salary
to do what the soyereigns want done.
and to do it in the way the sovereigns
want 1t done. Platforms are entirely
In harmony with this democratic idea.
A platform announces the party's pc
sition on the questions Which are ut is
sue; and an official is not at liberty to
use the authority vested in him to
urge personal views which have not
been submitted to the voters for their
approval. If one is nominated upon 4
platform which is not satisfactory to
him, he must, if candid either decline
the nomination, or. In accepting it, pro
pose an amended platform in lieu of
the one adopted by the convention. No
such situation, however. confronts your
candidate, for the platform upon which
I was nominated not only contains
nothing from which dissent, but 1t
specifically outlines all the remedial
legislation which we can hope to Sc
cure during the next four years.
Republican Challenge Accepted.
The distinguished statesman who re-,
ceived the Republican nomination for
president said, in his. notification
speech: title strength OF the Republican
cause in the campaign at hand is the
fact that we represent the policies es-
sential to the reform Of known abuses.
to the continuance Of liberty and true
prosperity, and that we are determined.
as our platform unequivocally declares.
to maintain them and carry them on
In the name of the Democratic party,
I accept the challenge, and charge that
the Republican party is responsible for
all the abuses which row exist in the
federal government, and that it is i'm
potent to accomplish the reforms which
are imperatively needed. Further,
can not concur In the statement that
the Republican platform unequiyocally
declares for the reforms that are nee.
essary; on the contrary, I affirm that it
openly and VIGOROUSLY disappoints the
hopes and expectations Of reformers.
whether those reformers be Republic
ans or Democrats. So far did the Re:
publican convention fall short of its
duty that the Republican candidate felt
1t necessary to add to his platform in
several important particulars, thus re.
buking the leaders of the party. upon
whose cooperation he must rely for
the enactment Of remedial legislation
AS l shall. in separate speeches. dis
cuss the leading questions at issue.
shall at this time confne myself to the
paramount question. and to the far.
reaching purpose OF our party. as that
purpose is set forth in the platform.
Shall tho People Ruler
Our platform declares that the over
shadowing Issue which manifests itself
in all the questions now under discus
sion, is "shall the people rule:' No
matter which way we turn; no matter
to what subject we address ourselves.
the same question confronts us: Shall
the people control their own govern
ment, and use that government for the
protection Of their rights and for the
promotion of their welfare? or shall
the representatives of predatory wealth
prey upon a defenseless public, while
the offenders secure immunity from
subservient officials whom they raise
to power by INSCRIPTIONS methods?
This is the issue raised by the known
buses" to which Mr.. Taft refers.
Indictment Against the
Party.
In message sent to congress last
January, President Roosevelt said:
Tbs 4ttAa)K ANA1ksse IT. lEnegl