Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-09-30
BRYAN Confident RECORD
WILL WITHSTAND ATTACKS

that trust officials are supporting the
republican ticket.
compliment" is Accepted.
You compliment me when you
measure me by higher standard than
you do your political associates, for
you insist that Mr.. Rockefeller's con
tribution TO Governor Hughes cam
paign fund was no reflection upon
him. and | take it for granted that
you do not criticise Judge Taft's rec
ommendatiOn of a Standard Oil attor-
ney to the federal bench, Il place
where the judge might have to pass
upon charges against the very trust
for which he had been attorney.
while the trust attorney to whom
you refer is not an official of trust.
| will warn him ami through him his
clients that if | am elected, | will not
only vigorously enforce against all Of
tenders the laws which we hope to
have enacted in compliance with the
democratic platform. bht that | will
also vigorously enforce existing laws
against any and all who violate them
and that will enforce them. not spas
medically and intermittently. but per
sistently and consistently; they will
not be suspended, even for the pro
, lection of cabinet officers.
You say the attitude of many men
of large financial inter rests warrant
you in expressing the belief that those
trust magnates whose fear of being
prosecuted under the Ia W by Mr. Taft
is greater than their fear of general
business adversely under me, will sup
port me rather than Mr. Taft. You
have attempted to word that state
ment in such way as to claim the
support of all the trust magnates, and
yet put it on the ground that they are
supporting your party for patriotic
reasons rather than for the promotion
of a selfish interest That is ingeni-
Gus. but il is not sound.
"Ox Nnoweth His Owner
The trust magnates are supporting
| the republican party and the Bible
offers an explanation-'the OK knoweth
his owner and the ass his masters
crib You admit that you gave per
mission to the steel trust to absorb
rival. and thus increase its control
of the output of steel and iron prod
! ucts. | will leave the American pee
PIE tc pass judgment upon that act
and compare your position on the
trust question with mine.
You refer TO our campaign fund in
| 1886 and accuse us OF allowing two
men to contribute largely to the small
fund with which the committee con
Quoted the campaign. l am not sure
about the figures because | have not
seen an authentic statement of the
contributions. but | was informed tina;
the largest OF the two sums which
you mention was not all contributed
by the man to whom it was credited
but included contributions from Others
as well as that which he gave himself
But if you want 10 be fair why dc
you not give the amount of the re
publican campaign fund that year anC
, the sources of it? | am willing tt
have both funds published. are you
If some of those who contributed tC
our fund of less than 100000 had ;
pecuniary interest in the result Of tht
election. how will you explain th'
| enormous contributions made TO tht
| republican fund? If you will remem
Der. the democratic platform candidl,
, declared the party's purpose. If th'
, carrying ont of that policy would hav'
been of advantage to anyone. th'
whole public had knowledge and tn
; publication of the contributions woult
not have affected the result Pub
| licity as to campaign funds is no
, needed to make known that which i
: disclosed by the platform, but to d
. rect attention to secret agreement
? expressed or implied, which woui
: otherwise be concealed from the pull
: lie.
~ Talks of Mote and Beam.
= you certainly pay more attentio
{ to the mote than to the beam whe
you find fault with our national can
paign fund in 1896 and ignore the sig
: nificance of a fund almost as largj
e which at your request, was collecte
r from a few persons in 1904 and wa
V USED III one state ana WIS Only
. small item in the fund collected thi
h year.
: But your letter presents a defens
It of your partys position. and an acc
e sation against the voters which en-
e phasZes an issue already prominen
You are the first conspicuous membt
It of your party TO attempt an explain
/, ton of the party's opposition to pu
D. licity before the election, and the a
st mission which you make will emba
a rass your party associates. Your p
.e sition is that the publication befo,
N election of the contributions made
@. your campaign fund would furnis
r your political opponents an opportu
is ity to give false impression as to Il
IS fitness of the candidates. You cite
ia Illustrations the contributions made
il Governor Hughes campaign fund, Il
contribution collected by Mr.. Har
man and the contributions which a
now being collected for Mr.. Taf
t,or IN