The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-08-12

notification committee: / can not &C
cent the nomination which you Off
Chilly tender, without first acknow-
Lodging my deep indebtedness to the
dem etic party for the extraordin-
airy hono. which 1t has conferred upon
me. Having twice before been a can
didate for the presidency, In cam
| paigns which ended in defeat. third
nomination, the result of the free and
voluntary act of the voters of the par
ty, can only be explained by substan-
tial and undisputed growth in. the
principles and policies for which I,
with multitude Of others, have con-
tended. AS these principles and poll
cies have given me whatever political
strength I possess. the action of the
convention not only renews my faith
in them, but strengthens my attach
msnt to them.
A Platform 10 Binding.
shall, in the near future, prepare
a more formal reply to your notifica-
ton, and, In that letter of acceptance,
will deal with the platform in detail.
It is sufficient, at this time, to assure
you that I am In hearty accord with
both the letter and the spirit Of the
platform. l indorse 1t In whole and
in part, and shall, If elected, regard
its declarations as binding upon me.
And, l may add, platform is binding
as to what 1t omits as we'll as to what
1t contains. According to the demo
cratic idea, the people think for them
selves and select officials to carry out
their wishes. The voters are the SOW
ereigns; the officials are the servants,
employed for fixed time and at a
stated salary to do what the sover-
eigns want done. and to do 1t in the
way the sovereigns want it done.
Platforms are entirely in harmony
with this democratic idea. A platform
announces the party's position on the
questions which are at issue; and an
official is not at liberty to use the au-
thority vested in him to urge personal
views which have not been submitted
to the voters for their approval. If
one is nominated upon platform
which is not satisfactory to him, he
must, If candid, either decline the
nomination, or, in accepting it, pro-
pose an amended platform in lieu of
the one adopted by the convention.
No such situation, however, confronts
your candidate. for the platform upon
which l was nominated not only con-
tains nothing from which | disse mt,
but 1t specifically outlines all the rem
edial legislation which we can hope
to secure during the next four years.
Challenge Accepted.
The distinguished statesman who
received the republican nomination
for president said. in his notification
speech: THE strength of the repub-
lican cause in the campaign at hand is
the fact that we represent the policies
essential to the reform of known
abuses, to the continuance of liberty
and true prosperity, and that we are
determined, as our platform unequivo-
cally declares, to maintain them and
carry them on"
In the name of the democratic par
ty, l accept the challenge, and charge
that the republican party is RESPONSE
BILE for all the abuses which now exist
in the federal government, and that it
is impotent to accomplish the reforr s
which are imperatively needed. Fur
lther, can not concur in the state
ment that the republican platform I'M
eQuivocally declares for the reforms
that are necessary; on the contrary,
affirm that 1t openly and notoriously
disappoints the hopes and expecta-
tons OF reformers, whether those re-
formers be republicans or democrats.
So far did the republican convention
fall short of its duty that the republi-
can candidate felt 1t necessary to add
to his platform in several important
particulars, thus rebuking the leaders
OF the party. upon whose cooperation
he must rely for the enactment of
remedial legislation.
AS l shah. in separate speeches. dis.
lcuss the leading questions at issue, !
shall at this time confine myself to
the paramount question, and to the
far-reaching purpose of our party. as
that purpose is set forth in the plat.
form.
Shall People Rule?
Our PLATFORM declares that the ov
ershadowing issue which manifests
itself in all the questions now under
discussion, is Shall the people rule p
No matter which way we turn: nc
matter to what subject we address
ourselves, the same question confronts
us; Shall the people control thei,
own government, and use that gov
eminent for the protection of thei,
rights and for the promotion of thei,
welfare? or shall the representatives
OF ~predatory wealth prey upon a de
fenseless public, while the offenders
secure Immunity from subservient of
ncials whom they raise to power b,
interruptions methods? This is the is
sue raised by the known abuses" tc
which Mr.. Taft refers.
Presidents Indictment.
In a message sent to congress las
January, President Roosevelt said:
The attacks by these great corpor
ations on the administrations actions
have been given a wide circulation
throughout the country. in the news
papers and otherwise, by those writ
ers and speakers who, consciously OF
unconsciously, act as the representa-