Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1908-07-03
BRYAN PICKS OUT FLAWS.
The Republicans IN FdH Retreat Gays
The Nehraskan.

= = =. - s.c.as
The Republicans IN FdII Retreat Says
The Nebraskan. d.
Lincoln, Neb, June 24:-William J.
Bryan has prepared the following sta
ment concerning his views Of the
platform adopted BY the Republicans
in Chicago, which he viii publish un-
der the head an Full Retreat:
The Republicans who attended the
national convention as spectators ano
Joined In the demonstration In favoI
Of President Roosevelt and Senator 1
Toilette must have felt indignant as
they watched the panic stricken dele.
gates running over each other in
their effort to get away from the La.
Toilette reforms some Of which had
been endorsed by the President him
self.
Congressman Cooper, Of Wisconsin
brought in minority report signed
by himself alone. Fifty two members
Of the committee signed the major.
ity report, and one signed the minor
fly report. The Republican party vii
find the ratio Of fifty two to one
a very embarrassing one to deal with
in the coming campaign. a.
Mr.. Cooper's report contained a dec
laration in favor Of publicity as to ca
paign funds. now lost by a vote
Of $50 to "a, more than nine to one,
and yet the president has been adj
vocating legislation in favor Of pub
licity Of campaign contributions and
Secretary Taft wrote a letter to Mr..
Burrows advocating the passage OF
such a bill. How fortunate that Sec.
rotary Taft's letter was finally discov
cred and published.
Senator Burrows. the man to whom
the Taft letter was addressed was
temporary chairman of the conven-
ton, and the convention over which
he presided turned down the public.
ity plank by vote Of nine to onel
Who. Will deny, that on this subject
the Republican party is retreating?
!, Another plank Of the LaFollette pla
form authorized the escertaining of
the value Of the railroads. This
plank was lost by a vote Of h7
10 s., nearly fifteen to one, and yet
President Roosevelt has advocated
this very proposition. JHere is a re.
treat on the railroad question.
In another column reference Is mao
to- the Injunction plank. The In
junction plank adopted by the Repub.
fican convention is a retreat from
the position taken by Secretary Taft
in his speeches, although neither Of
them went as far as they ought 10
have gone in. their effort to pfe
vent what Is known as government
By Injunction" Here Is the third re-
treat >saisti as az! ). i-,d
The President has advocated the IL
come tax as a means Of preventing
swollen fortunes. and Of eQualizine
the burdens Of government. The Re-
publican platform il silent on tie
subject. Was the President nght
in the position he took? II so, then
theconvention was wrong in not in.
dorsing him. VIII the Republican vo'
ers follow the President In this Just
demand or will they follow the Re
publican organization in retreating
from it? Is
The President advocated an inner
itance tax, but the Republican, con.
vention is silent on that subject.
Was the President the head Of the
Republican party In advocating this
reform, or has the Republican party
ton? Did the President give a false
alarm on this question, or has the
party sounded retreat?
In the Presidents message to Con.
gress last spring he presented an
| indictment against the conspiracy
formed among the great law breakers
to prevent the enforcement of the
law and to evade the punishments
provided by law. The platform ad.
opted by the Republican convention
contains no intimation of danger
If there are any cohspiracies the
convention did not see them; if there
heard of them; if there are any dan.
gers ahead, it was unconscious Of
them. Was the President mistaken
when he issued his defiance, or are
the Republican managers deceived
when they think that an aroused pub
lie will calmly contemplate the en-.
croachments of predatory wealth?
This is retreat number six.
The convention by vote of 500 to
fillmore than seven to one-voted
down the plank in favor of the pop
ular erection Of United States senator
1t is true that the President and Sec
rotary Taft have never advocated the
POPuAol OAOOIlOA VI oOuoIOlos 1uOJ
seem to take the Hamiltonian rather
than the Jeffersonian view, but the
most popular reform in the United
States today is the reform that has
for its object the election of United
States Senators by direct vote. 1t
has five times been Endorsed by the
national House of Representatives
three times when the House of Rep
resentatives was Republican. 1t has
been Endorsed by nearly two thirds
of the states Of the Union, and there
probably Is not state In the Union
in which it would not be Endorsed at
a popular election and yet in spite OF
the record made In the House Of Rep
resentatives and by the various states
this reform is rejected by a seven
to one vote In q Republican national
! nouuorftor