Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-07
BRYAN IS
OPTIMISTIC
SEES GREAT VICTORY FOR
DEMOCRATS
LEADER SPEAKS TO BIG AUDI
ENcE IN DENVER
Nebraskan Deals with Imperialism as
7racticed by RepubIicans--slI-
YER Not Now an
Issue
BY Associated Press.

BY Associated Press
DENVER, April civilian J. Bry-
an closed day of strenuous activity
ty addressing $50 banquetters tonight
in tile spacious Ell Jebel Temple BAN
quet hall, in addition to hundreds Of
others who filed every seat in the gall
leries overlooking the main room.
The banquet had been arranged by
The Bryant Democratic club of Colo
RADIO, and its president. .ex-Congressman
John F. snafroth, presided. Mr. Bryan
was the only speaker
He said in part:
II do not come to Colorado because
missionary work Is necessary, but for
the pleasure of coming. We carried
ttis state by a large majority in 1895
end in 1900. We ought to have
larger majority this year than in either
OF those years. Everyone who voted
with us in 1896 ought to vote with us
now, and those who were against us in
1896 have had time to see the vindi-
cation that has come to Democratic
principles. The quantitative theory of
honey has been proved to be correct,
for we have 80 per cent per capita
more money in circulation now than
we had in 1896, and with that increase
we have had higher prices and better
times.
Silver Not an Issue
1.-The silver question is no longer an
issue, but it's elimination is due to the
fact that we have secured from an
other source the increase in currency
which was expected from the restora-
ton of bimetallism. But the money
question is not the only question upon
which our position has been proved
correct by the course of events. Our
protest against the trusts has been
shown to be we'll founded and the
whole country now understands that
private monopoly is indefensible and
uncomfortable.
ION the tariff question also the Dem
ocrats' position is being strengthened.
Secretary Taft started out to make his
campaign on a platform which declared
for tariff revision--the revision to be
postponed until after the election. As
he travelled over the country he found
the tariff reform sentiment so strong
that he finally reached the conclusion
in the platform of his state convention,
that tariff reform is so urgent that
special session of congress should be
held Immediately after the 4th of
March, But even more significant is
the surrender made by Vice President
Fairbanks, for his state convention
declares in favor of a special session
of congress to be called Immediately
after the election-four months earlier
than Secretary Taft's special session.
And we have two candidates to hear
from yet.
ut remains to be seen whether Can
didate Knox and Candidate Hughes will
attempt to make better bid than those
already submitted by Candidates Taft
and Fairbanks.
Want Tariff Reform
'It is gratifying to see Republicans
vying with each other in their ad-
vocacy of tariff reform. But the people
arc not likely to intrust the reduction
of the tariff to men who are not willing
to have tariff reform at once and who
have not discussed the tariff until the
exigencies of the campaign made 1t
necessary. On the question of railroad
regulation we have another Democratic
vindication.
"The Democrats have been asking
for regulation for twelve years, and
when at last the president, taking his
inspiration from the Democratic plat
form, asked for an enlargement of the
scope of the interstate commerce law,
he received more loyal support from
the Democrats than from the Repub-
liCans.
"But railroad regulation is not yet
effective. We must know how much
the railroads are worth and must pre-
vent the future issue of watered stock.
But since the states began to legislate
on the subject of railroad regulation
the railroad managers began to demand
the surrender by the states of power
to legislate in regard to railroads and
insist that congress shall exercise eX-
elusive control.
1.-THE president has yielded to this
Il raOOnoy11anda6 tho
tional incorporation of railroads, and
as Secretary Taft is indorsing the pres
ident'S policies he is supposed to favor
this But the national Incorporation of
railroads is a step backward rather
than forward and it must be resisted
by the Democrats and 1t will be resisted
by a large element of the Republican
party for those who have had taste
of state regulation will not be willing
to surrender the power that the state
now has. National remedies ought TO
be added to state remedies. not sub
stituted for them. Congress has ample
power to regulate interstate commerce
without interfering with the right of
the states to regulate internal COM
merce.
Secretary Taft seems to be regarded
as the representative of the reform
element, and yet he has so little of the
reform spirit and his record is so bar
len OF any WOrh III DeIdlL ol IelOlii
that he will hardly satisfy the expecta-
tions raised among Republicans by
some of the presidents regulations.
His advocacy of perpetual franchise In
the Philippine islands. coupled with
perpetual guarantee of income shows
that he looks at the corporation ques-
ton from the standpoint of the corpor-
alton rather than from the standpoint
of the public.
ION the subject of imperialism. the
last nine years have shown the folly
of a colonial policy. We are paying
at least one hundred millions year
for the privilege of following at the
tail end of the European procession.
for our army and navy alone costs US
(Continued on Page Two)