Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1908-08-12


ing conviction that our cause is Just
you will draw the keen blade of
righteousness and truth, throwing
away the scabbard and fight for none.
Your party has emphatically refused
to form any alliances with special in
terests that enjoy special privileges
'nder Republican administration. You
ave always refused to compromise
with those who prostitute the func-
tions of government for the lust of
greed. 1t was your lofty statesmanship
your unwavering fidelity. your Jeffer-
son standard of Democracy that in
duced the representatives of millions
of American freemen unanimously to
choose you as their candidate for the
highest office in the world.
at would be Inappropriate for me
to detain this splendid audience that
has met here today to listen to your
patriotic and eloquent words. There
fore1 now hand you an authenticated
copy of the platform adopted by the
Democratic convention at Denver, and
request the secretary to read the for
NAL letter of notification"
Mr.. Bryan responded In part as
follows:
Our platform declares that the
overshadowing issue which manifests
itself In all the questions now under
discussion, Is "Shall the people ruler"
No matter which way we turn; no
mater to what subject we address
ourselves, the same question confronts
us: Shall the people control their own
government, and use that government
for the protection of their rights and
for the promotion OF their welfare? or
shall the representatives of predatory
wealth prey upon a defenseless pub
lie, while the offenders scure immun-
ity from subservient officials whom
they raise to power by unscrupulous
| methods? This is the issue raised by
the known abuses to which Mr..
| Taft refers.
So long as the Republican party
remains in power, 1t is powerless to
| to regenerate itself. 1t can not attack
wrongdoing In nigh places without
| disgracing many of its prominent
members, and it therefore. uses opi-
ates instead of the surgeons knife.
| Its malefactors construe each Repub-
| lican victory as an endorsement of
their conduct ana threaten the party
| with defeat If they are interferred
with Not until tnat party passes
| through a period OF fasting In the
wilderness. will the Republican lead
ers learn to study public questions
from the standpoint of the masses.
Just as with individuals, "the. cares
of this world and the deceitfulness OF
riches choke the truth" so in politics,
| wnen party leaders serve far away
from home and are not In constant
| contact with the voters, continued
party success blinds their eyes to the
nedes of the people and makes them
| deaf to the cry or distress
| An effort has been made to secure
| legislation requiring publicity as to
campaign contributions and expendi-
lures: but the republican leaders,
even in the face of an indignant pub
lie, refused to consent to law which
would compel honesty in elections.
! When the matter was brought up In
the recent Republican national con-
vention, the plank was repudiated by
a vote of $50 TO "a. Here. too, Mr..
Taft has been driven to apologize for
his convention and to declare himself
i'm favor of a publicity law; and yet,
II you will read what he says upon
this subject, you will find that his
promise falls far short of the re-
uuirements of the situation He says:
"If I am elected president, I shall
urge upon Congress, with every hope
of success, that law be passed re-
uuiring the filing. in federal office
of a statement of the contributions re-
ceived by committees and candidates
in elections for members of Congress
and in such other elections as are con-
stitutionally within the control OF
| Cor gress."
l shall not embarass him by asking
upon what he bases his hope of sue
cess; It is certainly not on any en-
couragement he has received from
Republican leaders. 1t Is sufficient 10
say that If his hopes were realized
II In spite of the adverse action or his
convention. he should succeed in Sc
curing the enactment of the very law
which he favors, 1t would give but
martial relief. He has read the Demo
cratic platform; not only his IAN
guage, but his evident alarm, indi-
Gates that ne has read II caretully
He even had before him the action OF
the Democratic national commit ee In
interpreting and applying thet pat
form: and yet he fails 10 say that ne
eay.r rs the publ 'ation II the cpntri-
buttons before the election. OF course
il satisfies a natural curiosity to find
nrt how an election has been pur-
chased, even when the knowledge
, comes too late TO be Of service ou'
why should people be kept in dark
ness until the election Is past? why
should the locking of the door be de-
layed until the horse is eoneE
Next to the corrupt use of money
the present method of electlng uhlteO
States senators is most responsive
for the obstruction of reforms FOL
one hundred years after the adoption
of the constitution the demand ~
the popular election Of senators. while
finding increased expression, did no
become dominant sentiment.
constitutional amendment had from
time to time been suggested and th'
matter had been more or less dis