The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-09-16

says tt In Irrelevant and Inhmaterial-
People Wan. Republican ! Candi.
dates Position Deemed and Not Let.
ters Of Approval From Sycamore
Hfl-More Trusts Now Than
When Roosevelt Was Nominated.
Baltimore. Md. Sept. 14.-Replying
to President Rooseveit's letter COM
mendin1 Mr. Tart. w. j. Bryan to-
day Issued the followins statement:
ut was expected. Of course, that
President Roosevelt would support
Mr.. TAFT. he could hardly do less In
view Of the fact that he selected him
as the Administration candidate and
supported him with all the influence
that the Administration candi-
dsts could bring 10 bear. The
rrssidsnts lstssr. however, y zAay
be objected to a. irrelevant. im-
material and not the Jbssa syi-
dsncs, II III. sTa1t, were dsad Il
would be interesting 70 know from
Mr.. Roosevelt what he knew OF Mr..
Tsft's opinions and work, but a. Mr..
rAftfi 10 alive and able to speak for
himesif II 10 hardly necessary for Mr..
Roosevelt TO tell us what Mr.. Taft viii
do. :. 49,, -
Mr.. Taft b running upon a plat
form which was 20 unsatisfactory that
he had to amend II In several import-
ant particulars. and yet even az
amended 1t sives the public no definite
idea as to what Mr.. Taft stands for.
Mr.. Taft also has made some speeches
and promises to make more. The
ones he has already made have not
thrown any light upon the political
situation. but Il ID to be hoped that
he will yet conclude to .define his Do
sition with sunhcient ciearness to en-
able the public to know what he
stands for.
"It IL not sufiicient for the President
to say that Mr.. Taft 10 a friend of la
bor--that II q subject upon which the
laboring man In entitled to an opinion.
and Mr.. Taft's friendship In to be de-
termined not by the Presidents en-
dorssment. but by the measures which
Mr.. Tan advocates. Mr.. Taft be-
Iievss that the labor organization
shorid come under the operation OF
antitrust law. thus dealing with the
men who belong to the labor organi-
nations as II they were merchandise,
for the anti-trust law deals with the
monopoly Of products of labor.
"Mr. Taft is opposed to trial by Jury
In cases Of indirect contempt, thus
denying to the laboring man a safe
guard which IL guaranteed to every
man tried In a-criminal Court. Mr..
Taft does not adore the laboring man
In regard to the Injunction In labor
disputes. No words Of praise from
the President can change Mr.. Tafts
attitude on this question or make that
attitude more acceptable to the wage
earners.
'Mr. Taft's position on the trust II
not changed by the Presidents en-
dorsemsnt. The President himself
has not succeeded in putting any trust
masnates In the penitentiary and only
q few OF the trusts have been dis
turbsd. II Mr.. TAFT II no more sue.
cessful than the President In his at
tacks on the trusts he will not satisfy
the expectation Of the public. There
are more trusts In the country today
than when Mr.. Roosevelt was tneu-
gurated, and Mr.. Taft favors a WAX
ening rather than strengthe4ins OF
antitrust law. for he has advocated
an amendment that will limit the op-
Grafton Of law to an unreasonable re-
straint Of trade" y
On the tariff question Mr. TAFT has
failed TO express himself with clear
ness. The Republican platform does
not use the word reduction, It only
promises revision, and Mr.. Taft has
construed that to mean that some
schedules would be lowered and some
raised. but there is no intimation
whether the average will be lower or
higher than II Is now, and 80 in re-
gard to all the questions which are at
Issue. Mr.. Taft must make his position
known. He cannot rely upon the
Presidents endorsement. An endorse
ment OF the note is not necessary II the
maker OF the note Is good and the en-
dorsement Is only good when suit can
be brusht against the endorser to en-
force II. II Mr.. Taft had a reform
record Of his own he would not need