Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-16
TAFT TRYING TO
DODGE, BUT HAS
TO FACE ISSUES
so DECLARES W. ]. BRYAN IN
CLEAR CHALLENGE
ROOSEVELT HEIR MUST STAND
BY PLATFORM
Great Nebrasksn Makes Hot Retort
TO EvasIve utterances Of Repub-
lcan Leader-PoInts Out
Facts
[By Associated Press-l

HlLADELPHlA,S sept. ID
"Mr. Taft is dodging. He
A cannot escape from the is
sues.
''He will not be permitted to
run away from them.
"He has accepted the nomina.
ton of his party. Now Let him
take the people into his confidence
and interpret his platform SO that
the public will know where he
stands and what he intends to do. F"
Challenge to Taft
In these words William j. Bryan
in an interview today on the way from
Baltimore to this city issued another
challenge to Mr. Taft his Republican
opponent.
He read Mr. Taft's utterances print
ed, this morning and dictated retort
which is in part as follows:
Mr.. Taft Is lodging instead of defin-
ing his position on public questions,
and is inquiring about my record
sin his inquiry he shows he knows
as little about my record as he does
about the public questions which he
has attempted to discuss. He accuses
me of being changeabIe and of aban-
doning issues"
Bryan's Reform Record
Mr. Bryan said he had been tariff
reformer for twenty-eight years; had
advocated the election of United States
senators by the people for years, and
had been favoring an income tax for
fourteen years, and Mr.. Taft is only
now coming around to his position on
these questions.
Continuing Mr. RYvar said.
sI stated in 1898 that the Filipinos
ought to have their independence. Mr..
Taft has only this year admitted that
the people must ultimately have in
dependence. / have maintained my
position. / have also discussed the
Philippine question in this campaign
and called attention to the fact that
Mr. Taft made mistake of STA. 900. 600
in his estimate Of the cost of imperial-
ism.
Bryan Said 1t Long Ago
son the railroad question ne has ex-
pressed himself as strongly as I have.
He has said, and the president also has
said that government ownership will
follow If the railroads prevent regu-
lation. I have said the same thing.
II do not desire government owner
ship. hope the railroads will permit
regulation.
has more faith than have in the will
ingness OF the railroads to be regu-
lated.
"He spends some time on the money
question The money question has
been taken out of politics because the
unexpected discovery of big gold re-
sources has given the increase which
was demanded by the Republican party
as we'll as by the Democratic party.
Can't Escape Issues
"Mr. Taft cannot escape from the
issues.
: '.Will he define his position on the
tariff question, on the labor question,
on the railroad question and the ques-
tions that are presented In this cam
paign?
"He viii not be permitted to run
away from theni
"If he prefers to delve into the past
rather than meet the Issues of the
present will he then explain the Ben
guet railroad in the Philippines and the
perpetuaf franchise that he wanted to
fasten upon the Filipinos with a per-
petual guarantee of income to the cor
porations securing the franchises?
sWill he explain his record on the
Iabar question and his silence on the
tariff question and the trust question
during his official service in WASH
ington?"
DemonstratIve Reception
Mr.. Bryan's reception in New Jer-
sey was demonstrative one. Al
Washington park on the New Jersey
side of the Delaware river, below Phil
adelphia. he addressed more than TO-
900 persons. his audience according him
O. great ovation.
His speech of over an hour was con-
tinually Interrupted by cheers and
hand clapping.
Statement by him that his nomina-
ton for a third time after two de-
feats. with no president to help him
with his patronage, was due 10 tne
growth of the ideas for which he
stood, provoked the widest enthusi-
asm. .
rected at Mr.. Taft. whom he charged
with running on the record OF Presi-
dent Roosevelt.
Shakes Hands with Many
En- route here Mr.. Bryan spoke at
Camden and Burlington to great
, crowds and shook hands with many
hundreds of persons.
Incidentally he again attacked Cole |
man Dupont of the Republican execu-
tive committee, reiterating his former
charge that Mr.. Dupont as a trust
magnate was unfit to occupy the posi-
tion OF attempting to institute reforms. |
Along the line Of travel from Cam |
den here stops We're made at a dozen |
places, and large crowds gave him an
enthusiastic welcome.
Mr.. Bryan's speech in this city to-
night covered much of the same ground
gone over during the day.
House Is Packed
Taylor opera house, where he spoke
here, was crowded from pit to DOME |
Seated on the stage were number
of the members OF the state Democrat
ic committee, including Chairman
James r. Nugent.
The meeting was intensely enthusi- |
who had been opposed to Bryan in his
former campaigns.
Mr.. Bryan left on late train for
Rochester, travelling via Jersey city, |
where he will make a brief stop in the
morning.