The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1908-08-20
P1|ICQ| Comment. !
Mr.. Bryan,s speech.

Mr.. Bryan's speech.
Mr.. Bryan's speech of acceptance is
plea in 5.0C0 words that the Democrats
be given power to carry on the pro
gresSiye work Of reform begun by the
Republicans under Theodore Roosevelt.
This is either the righteousness of
native simplicity or 1t is sheer imperti
hence
The complaint lodged by Mr.. Bryan
against the Republican party is that it
has done nothing. and that it will do
nothing in the future. The Democratic
leader is somewhat unfortunate in
quotation which appears early in his
speech. unfortunate although he used it
Ia an attempt to prove what he thinks
Is the hoilowness of the promises it sets
forth The quoted words are from Mr..
Taft's Cincinnati address and they run
thus:
'"The strength OF the Republican
cause in the campaign at hand is that
we represent the policies essential to
the reform OF known abuses, TO the con-
hnuance of liberty aud true prosperity.
and that We are determined. as our
platform unequivocally declares, to
maintain them and carry them on
This Is pretty fair statement OF the
Taft intention, and as the party is
bound 10 the letter and the spirit of
the same declaration Mr. Bryan is as
Stunning more than either politics on po-
likeness justifies when he charges insin-
eerity and a set determination on the
part Of candidate and party TO break
the faith
In his speech Mr.. Bryan constantly
asks the question, shall the people
ruler He can find the affirmative an
Ewer only in the rule of the party which
he has twice led TO defeat. He asks:
Shall the people control their own gov
ernmepi and use that government for
the ~ of their rights and for
the Of their welfare? Or
shs .esentatives of predatory
we- upon a defenseless public.
WIN tenders secure immunity
frou lent officials whom they
mis- Jwer by INSCRIPTIONS meth
edsy"
Tf :. publican party took the initial
tive ia the work of reform that the
Democratic candidate seems TO hold SO
close at heart. Under President RooseA
velt the work has gone on steadily, and
Il Will go on just as steadily under
President Taft If Mr.. Bryan has
found anywhere among the people Il
feeling of distrust of the sincerity of
purpose OF the administration. or any
sharp evidence OF doubt of the integ
rity Of the Taft promise of continued
progress along the path of present
achievement. he has penetrated hith-
erto undiscOy ered part of these United
States. 1t is not the sense of the peo-
pie that this is the precise psychological
moment for 6 change of leaders.
In the complaint of Mr.. Bryan that
the Republican part has not pro
crossed fast enough with the reforms
undertaken after the moral awakening
Of the people under the Roosevelt lead
ership. is 10 be found one OF the sound
est reasons for the defeat of the Dem
ocratic party at the polls. Hasty and
half considered action defeats its own
ends Care that legitimate interests
should not suffer is necessary in the
work Of securing true reform.
The Republican administration has
gone about its work conservatively. but
none the less effectively. Mr.. Bryan
would take the pace that recks nothing
Of the consequences to the law -abiding
1t Is the unchecked Impotence that
serves only destruction. In the future
the wonder will be not that it took so
long for gre :. party TO correct con-
diIions that had become intOlerable, but
that the time necessary was so short.
Or the Democratic platform Mr..
Bryan says: II indorse it in wLoie and
Ia part and shall. if elected. regard its
declarations as binding upon me- IL
contains nothing from which 1 dissent.
but 1t specifically outlines all the RENE
dial legislation which we can hope TO
secure during the next four years.
or the declaration of principles at
Denver 10 which the Democratic candi-
date gives his resolute adherence. Mr..
Taft said at Cincinnati: ",rhe chief
difference between the Democratic and
IN Republican platforms is the differ
ence between Mr.. RoOsevelt's progressiv
and rgulative policies and Mr.. Bryan's
destructive policies" Although Mr..
Bryan has a word or two to say about
safeguarding legitimate business inter
ests In the day of the assault on male
factor corporations, there Is little In
his speech to show that Mr. Tafts julg-
ment of the case between the platforms
and the policies of the two parties was
not based ON sound reasoning-Chicago
Post.
Why Farmers Are Profectiontsts.
favorite argument of the Free
Traders is to the effect that the tariff
Oh manufactured articles results In the
oppression of the farmers, but no evil
.s.nce has ever been furnished TO sup
port the contention. The testimony on
the other hand is overwhelming that
the increasing prosperity induced by
the promotion Of the manufacturing in
dustry Ia the United States has re-
bounded more TO the benefit OF the
American farmer than TO those direct
y affected by the tariff. The increase
In the value of American farm prod
ucis from s5,9O7 100000 in 1903 to
$3.O00.0O0,0OO In 1908 concusively cs-
tablishes this assertion. The tremend-
Gus enlargement OF the farmers do
nestle market Is directly responsible
for this. Had the policy of the Free
Traders prevailed things would have
been different In that event a COLI
stantly increasing surplus would have
obliged the American agriculturist to