The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1908-07-16
AN INDEPENDENT REPUBLICAN
EDITORS VlEW OF THE
SITUATION.

The editor of the Springfield (Mass)
Republican evidently does not take
rosy view of the chances for success
Of Nominee Taft at tho polls next
November. The Republican is known
for its independence and weilds great
influence among the voters in the
New England states. In Wednesdays
issue of that paper appeared the fol-
lowing editorial under the head, "The
Democratic Program"
"The speech of Temporary Chair
man Bell at Denver is to be read in
the light of the fact that it had the
perusal and unquestionably the ap-
proval, if not the inspiration, of Will
liam j. Bryan. 1t accordingly affords
a measurably clear outline of the
platform the Nebraskan would have
the convention adopt, and of the cam
paign he would conduct against the
party in power.
"The burden of this address is de-
voted to the lapses of the Chicago
and Taft platform from the leadership
of President Roosevelt. If the presi-
dent dictated the Republican candi-
date, the conservatives or reactionar-
les dictated the platform and will
hold the candidate to it. We have no
slashing radical program of our own
to present this year, Mr.. Bells
speech seems to say, beyond what
President Roosevelt has adopted
from previous Democratic doctrines.
He has been radical enough in his Ut
terances for us. We are content to
take up his causes, along with GER
tain old Democratic beliefs, as in re-
lation to the tariff, and carry them
on to victory and enactment. We
will save President Roosevelt and the
Republican masses from the reaction
ary consequences of the Chicago con-
vention. We will take up what was
demanded of that convention and
turned down by it-popular election of
United States senators, the physical
valuation of railroads, publicity of
campaign contributions, income and
inheritance taxes, restriction upon
equity abuses, and postal savings
banks; and we will add genuine in
stead of spurious tariff revision, and
performance instead of talk for the
suppression of monopolistic tenden-
cies in industrial combinations, with
out warning upon the right of capital
to organize in large bodies.
Such appears to be the Bryan pro-
gram. 1t is a good one, and under
a leadership capable of uniting and
enthusing the party the Republican
organization might be given the fight
of its life. Perhaps this will be pos
sible now. The Chicago convention
left several gaping rents in the party's
armor. Its emasculated platform and
foolish conduct in turning an avail
anche Of votes openly upon such res
OlutiOns as favored publicity of cam
paign contributions, valuation of rail-
roads and popular election of sena-
tors, gave the Democrats a splendid
chance to appeal to the country on
behalf of the president as against his
own party, and they are going to take
it and make the most of it. Their
radicalism is TO be only or largely
that which has been given large
stamp of Republican approval, and
the country has become too used to
it longer to be shocked or injurious
ly disturbed by it. 1t is now pre-
sented in a mantle of Republican re-
spectability, which largely conceals
the Democratic tatters in which alone
it was originally clothed"