The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1908-10-23
TAFT ON BRYAN
AND
BRYAN ON TAFT

anything but talk, while he has been
putting his ideas into practice in an
administrative way. While it is true
that he has held Office more than !
have, and therefore. has had more
opportunities 10 put his ideas into
practice, I have had more oppo .tuni-
ties &c see ny ideas borrowed than
he has had to see his ide-s borrowed
What idea o. his own has he put into
practice with success? He was a
judge upon the bench. Was the in
junction idea his. or did he get it from
somebody else? He put it into Dvac-
tice, but he pat it into practice in
such a way that he has alienated the
wage earrners Of the country. He
has put colcaialism into practice
Vas that his idea? No: ne got il
from Europe ana initiated il the
PHILIPPINES what Great Britain did in
this country before the war for in
dependence. What idea OF his own
has he practically applied to govern
ment?
Now let ne show you what ideas he
has borrowed. He has abandoned the
idea of a permanent colonial system
AMI advocates the ultimate indepen-
dence Of the FiIipinos. Where did he
get that idea? 1t is not original with
him. He did not get it from the re-
publicans, for they have never put it
in their platforms. Where did he get
it? He got It from the democratic
platform. and I have had as much to
do with the presentation of the idea
as anyone else. He says he is in favor
Of an income tax. Where did he get
the idea? I is not his own. 1t was
in the democratic platform of 1896;
ii is in our platform this year. 1t is
not in his platform. He can not claim
originality in The presentation of this
idea. l have spoken or this subject
earlier than be has, and Oftener than
be has. Re says that he is person
ally inclined 70 favor the election of
senators y q direct vote of the peo-
pie That is not an original idea with
him; ii i not with his party. Il was
the democratic party which first Sc
cured an endorsement Of that idea by
the house or representative at Wash
ington. 1t is in three democratic
platforms and [ helped put it there.
1t was in ny first congressional plat
form eighteen years ago, and I wrote
the platform myself
Publicity as to campaign contribu-
tons is another idea that he has bor-
rOwed. and if he has not borrowed it
from me, he has borrowed it from the
democrats AMI not from his republi-
can associates. for his own party re-
pudiated the idea by vote of nine to
one l went TO Washington and made
an argument before the committee of
the house having this bill in charge
some time before his letter to Bur
rows, and the letter to Burrows was
not 8 public one. His convention
turned Down a publicity plank; his
associates are not willing to have any
publicity at all: he comes half way
toward our platform, but be does not
come far enosbh, for we want pub
licity BEFORE the election and he
wants it AFTER the election.
But what is his reason for postpon-
ing publication until after election?
Is it the reason that President Roose.
welt gives, thai publication before the
election would lead to unjust suspic-
ions? [ challenge him 20 indorse MIR.
RooseveIts proposition that the voters
nave so little sense that they must not
De allowed 10 know who are cont"ibut-
ing to campaign funds for fear they
viii draw wrong conclusions.
He now claims to be in favor Of PROS
ecuting the trusts. What does he
get that idea? He cannot get it from
the former republican platforms, but
he can get from democratic platforms
and from democratic speeches. Let
him tell of his first utterrance
against the trusts, and | will promise
to find an earlier democratic utter
ance. If he is in favor of tariff re-
vision. and he says the revision will
probably be downward If he is in
favor of reducing the tariff, where did
he get his idea? Not from the re-
pUbhcans. for they have raised the
tariff and oppose reduction; the re-
publican platform this year does not
use the word reduction" If he is in
favor of reduction, he has borrowed
another democratic idea.
1 will give him credit for being en-
irely republican on the labor CUES
ton. for be has not only refused to
borrow democratic ideas on that sub
ject, but has shown himself hostile