The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1908-06-24
BRYAN DISCUSSES
THE CONVENTION
Held at Chicago by the
Republicans.
THEY'RE NOW IN FULL RETREAT
Reforms Urged by Roosevelt
Turned Down by Over
whelming Majority.

Under the caption, "In Full Re-
treat" William j. Bryan, in the next
issue of the CommOner, will discuss
the Republican convention, as follows:
"The Republicans who attended the
Republican National Convention as
spectators, and joined in the demon
stration in favor of Roosevelt and
LaFollette, must have felt indignant
as they watched the panic stricken
delegates running over each other
in an effort 20 get away from LaFol-
lette reforms, some of which have
been endorsed by the President him
self. Cooper, of Wisconsin, repre-
senting the LaFolStts men, brought
in the minority report, signed by him
self alone. Fifty-two members of the
committee signed the majority re-
port, and one signed the minority re-
port, The Republican party will find
the ratio 80 to 1 very embarrassing
to deal with In the coming campaign.
"Mr. Cooper's report contained a
declaration in favor of publicity as
to campaign funds. 1t was lost by
vote of $50 to "a, more than 8 to
/, and yet the President has been ad-
vocating legislation in favor of pub
Ici,y of campaign funds and wrote
letter to Burrows. advocating the
passage of the publicity bill. How
fortunate that Taft's letter was final
ly discovered and published. Bur-
rows, the man to whom the letter
was addressed, was temporary chair
man of the convention, and the con-
vention over which he presided
turned down the publicity plank .
to /. Who will deny that, on this
subject, the Republican party is re-
treating?
Another plank of the LaFollette
platform authorized the ascertaining
of the value of railroads. This plank
was lost by 917 to &C, nearly Is to l.,
and yet Roosevelt has advocated this
very proposition. Here Is retreat
on the railroad situation, and in an
other column reference is made to the
Injunction plank. The injunction
plank adopted by the Republican con-
vention is a retreat from the position
taken by the President and from the
position taken by Taft in his speech
es, although neither went as far as
they ought in the effort to prevent
what is known as government by in
junction. Here is the third retreat.
THE President has advocated an
income TAX as a means of preventing
swollen fortunes and equaliZing the
burdens of government. The Republic
an platform Is silent on the subject.
Was the President. right In the posi-
ton he took? II so, then the conven-
ton was wrong in not endorsing him.
Will the Republican voters follow the
President in this just demand, or will
they follow theRepublican organization
in retrea.ing from it? The President
advocated the importance of the tax,
but the Republican convention is ST.
lent on the subject.
1.-THE convention by vote of 500
to fillmore than seven to one--vot-
ed down the plank in favor of the
popular election of a senator. 1t Is
true that the President and Taft have
never advocated the popular election
of senator's. They seem to take the
Haluiltonian rather than the Jeffer-
sonian view, but the most popular re-
form in the United States to-day is
the reform that has for it's subject the
election of senators by direct vote.
Here are seven propositions upon
which the Republican party in ma
tiopal convention assembled has re-
treated from the position taken by
that party in congress or from the
position taken by the President. What
have the Roosevelt Republicans to
say? The President has awakened a
spirit of reform within his party.
he has at last revealed to the world
there are reformers in the Republican
party. Can that spirit now be quell-
ed by stand pat convention? Mil
hons of Republicans have enlisted at
the Presidents call to arms and are