The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1908-09-25
HOT SHOT
FOR BRYAN.
Taft DisSects Record of Dem.
Ocratk, Nominee.
Twelve Years of Shifting From
One Policy to Another ANY
thing to Get Votes.

Turning now 10 the other picture
said Mr. Taft after his review of the
issues, "What is it that we nave TO
expect from Mr.. Bryan? Have we
anything to expect but what ne pro-
misses? Have we anything to expect
but what is based upon his eloquence
and his adroitness as public critic?
HAS he ever given any practical
demonstration of his ability TO meet
problems and solve them? Has ne
ever done anything but formulate
propositions in his closet OF an ut
terly impracticable character, largely
with view of attracting votes by
their plausibility, and very little with
"a view of their actual operation?
by their fruits ye snail know them
What is the history of Mr.. Bryan? II
is from beginning 10 end a record Of
failure on public questions. We find
him first in Congress in the second
admins tration VI Nh. Cleveland, Il
member of the Ways and Means Com
mittee and most active in formulating
the provisions of the Gorman-Wilson
tariff bill.
After five months debate, ii passed
both houses and came To MI. Cleye-
land in such snare that be denounced
it as a piece of perfidy. 1t leveled
the industries of this country TO the
ground 1t threw out of employment
millions of wage earners. 1t destroy
ed all business profit.
Farm products for lack of "a mar
ket fell TO a point never SO low in
forty years. Coxey's army march
ed from the West to Washington 10
protest against a Government under
which sucn things were possible.
After having assisted in this sui
cidal policy, after the country was
nearly dead, after the farmers and the
wage earners were staggering under
debt and mortgage penury and almost
starvation, Mr.. Bryan defeats the eff
forts of the only really great Demo-
crat that they have had in the party
tor many years. Grovers Cleveland, and
hurls at MIN billingsgate and denunci-
alton, for what reason?
because he opposed Mr.. Bryans pet
hobby, that of the free coinage of
silver, without the consent of auy
other nation. Mr.. Bryan announced
that the gold standard had slain its
tens of thousands, where protection
had slain its thousands and so he
abandoned the issue of protection and
free trade of tariff for revenue which
now so attracts MIN, and he went in
to the business of trying TO persuade
the people of this country to resort to
tie dishonest method of paying OF
their debts by issuing a debased money
which would be equivalent to the pay
ment of what the nation and people
owe at the rate of fifty cents on
the dollar.
Reputation always has an attrac-
1!oa for those who are laboring under
debt
In the campaign Mr.. Bryan prophe
sled that the continuation of the gold
standard meant uncertainty in employ
ment of labor and hardship to wage
Farmers; that it would send down the
price of farm products wheat below
fifty cents; corn thirty cents, and
oats TO five cents. He did not have
to live two years 10 see every pro-
phecy that he made in that cam
paign refuted by the fact
Then there came on the campaign ,
of 1900. In that campaign he still
adhered to his free silver fallacy. and
still went about the country trying -
explain why it was that the continue
ton of the gold standard Mad not
resulted in the disasters which he
had prophesied. /
s'But lest the issue of free silver had
become little shopworm he brought
out as paramount issue that of anti
imperialism. He announced that If he
were not elected in the next election
patriotism would have ceased to be in
this country the celebration of the
Fourth Of July would become but
memory, and that liberty would die.
His agitation of this question con-
tinued the war In the Philippines
against the authority of the United
States for nearly two years longer,
and many a poor fellow VINO lost his
life in the service Of hiscountry in