The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-10-13
Attacks Arguments of Governor Hughes and Holds Them
 Up to RidicuIe
PUT UP AS CHAMPION
 OF REPUBLICAN PARTY
To Attack Remedies of Opposition Party, But Offers No Remedy for Existing Evils Himself-The
 Speaker We'll Received.

Lincoln, Neb., October 12.-In an ad- dress at the State university this after noon w. J. Bryan attacked the argu- ments of Governor Hughes of New York in defense of the republican platform, dwelling on the difference between the two platforms relating to publicity of campaign contributions and discussed the propriety of President Roosevelt support ing MT. Taft
 Delivered forcibly and in MT. Bryans best style, his speech was repeatedly cheered by the university students, In attacking the position of the republicans on the tariff situation he delivered cpl grams, which kept the students cheering for several minutes. During the speech he took a vote of the students who were for and again publicity of campaign funds, and those who were for and against electing senators by direct vote.
 The principal part. of the speech of the candidate was occupied by an answer to the arguments of MT. Hughes, who spoke to the university students a short time ago.
 Hughes Is Champion.
 Governor Hughes of New York has been put forward as the champion of the republican party to attack the dem- ocratic remedy for the trusts and the President seems to prefer the argument advanced by MT. Hughes than the argu- ment advanced by MT. Taft can fairly assume, therefore, that the argument pre- sented by MT. Hughes is not only the strongest argument tl.at has been pre- sented, but the strongest argument thai can be presented, because MT. Roosevelt would not pit him against our platform IT he were not the strongest opponent He has been sent through the west to strengthen the republican lines. l desire to remind you in the first place, that MT. Hughes represents the eastern re- publicans, not the western republicans. He was one of the candidates against MT. Taft when MT. Taft was being urged as the representative of the administration. Mir Hughes friends joined with the friends of Mr. Cannon, MT. Knox and Mir. Fairbanks in the effort to prevent the nomination of MT. Taft It is only fair to assume, therefore, that MT. Hughes is not a reformer in the sense in which that term is used by the re- publicans of the west.
 Two-Cent Passenger Rate.
 "As an evidence that MT. Hughes is not fin sympathy with western reforms you will recall that he vetoed 2-cent pas senger rate, and he did this in spite or the fact that a republican legislature or New York passed the bill. The gover- nors in the western states signed this bill and we are now enjoying the benefits of the 2-cent fare New York is more thickly settled than the western states and vet he gave the benefit of the doubt to the railroads in their contest with the patrons.
 "I will not say that he did this be- cause of the contributions made to his campaign fund by Morgan, Depew, the Vanderbilts and one of the Goulds. It is not necessary to assume that these contributions had any effect on his ac- tion It is enough to know that he did not act on this subject as republican governors in the west acted. l care not what explanation his friends smay make. If they say that he decided in favor of the railroads without any reference to the contributions donated by the rail- roads 1t simply shows that he looks at questions from the standpoint of the rail- roads rather than from the standpoint of the patrons. If he had signed the bill the railroads could have protected them selves by recourse to the courts but when he vetoed the bill the people had no re- course.
 Sides With Trusts.
 .'It is not strange that he should op- pose the democratic remedy on the trust question for he has never shown an in- terest in the correction of the evils that the trust have brought on the country.
 
 trusts is due to the contributions made to his campaign fund by Carnegie, Sehwab, Gates, Havemeyer, Duke and others. It is not necessary to assume that these contributions influenced him at all. It may be his natural disposition to take the side of the trust as against the people. His speech presents all the evidence necessary to convict him of lack of sympathy with tn general public.
 Docs he manifest any concern about the wrong done to the people by the trusts? Not the least. Has he any remedy? None whatever With him it is subject of amusement; it is really too funny for anything to think that anybody should try to do anything. If you will read his speech on this subject you will agree with me when lilSen the situa- ton to the case of a sick man who Is about to try 8 remedy proposed by & physician. Dr. Hughes comes in and says: What Are you going to take that remedy? What! That Is ridiculous, that is absurd and then retires from the room laughing and leaving the patient without a remedy and without a sugges- ton. Now, if the patient is not really sick, that might be excusable, but what do you think about 1t? Is the patient sick or not? If the trusts are doing harm then why does not MT. Hughes pro- pose something?'