The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1908-07-31
SPEECH OE ]. !. BREIQN
In Which He Discusses Senator Longs
Record, His Emporia Speech, and
the Inconsistency of His Campaign
Delivered at Wichita, July 10, 1908.

the Inconsistency of His Campaign
Delivered at Wichita, July 10, 1908.
Any man, who aspires to represent
the people in the United States Sen
ate should frankly state his views on
questions of public concern. Believ.
ing this, when l announced my candi.
dacy ! declared in favor of certain
policies. Senator Long announced at
the state convention and has since
reiterated the statement that he had
no platform to announce, but that he
would make the raceupon his record.
Radical Differences of Opinion.
The record of the senator shows
that he and I radically differ
on vital political questions. To illus.
trate l opposed the Aldrich currency
bill because it made railroad bonds a
basis for our national currency. Long
supported the measure. 1 believe in
the revision of the tariff; Long has
not declared himself upon the subject,
with Cannon on that issue. l believe
that public service corporations
should not be permitted to issue
stocks and bonds for an amount
greater than the cost or value of their
properties; Long, as shown by his
record, is opposed to placing any linn
itation upon the amount of stocks
and bonds that these corporations
can issue. I believe that the inter.
state commerce commission should be
given authority and means to ascer.
tain the physical valuation of the
railroads; Long is opposed to giving
the commission any such power.
believe that the interstate commerce
commission should be given authority
to fix transportation rates and to cor
rect manifest injustice in rate SEIZED.
ules upon its own motion. Long is
opposed to such policy. The ques-
ton, therefore, is, do a majority
of the republicans of Kansas believe
as do ON these questions, or are they
with Senator Long?"
Mr. Bristow then discussed the Aid.
rich Bill, stating his objection to it.
In regard to the tariff, he said that
he was a protectionist, but believed
that the time had come to revise the
tariff and take the duty off of lum-
Der and a number Of other articles.
Transportation the Vital Question.
Speaking of transportation he said:
The transportation question is to-
day the most vital question in Ameri'
can politics. 1t Is the presidents at
titude upon this question and the
problems that grow out of it that has
given him the great hold that he has
on the hearts of the American people.
The discussion of Senator Longs rec
ord upon this question is subject
concerning which he is very sensitive,
al attack.
A very few men practically control
the transportation lines of this ma
ton, and a committee representing
these men fix the rates over almost
every railroad in the country.
Such control places into their
hands tremendous power over the
commercial and industrial interests OF
the country. When these men agree
upon a policy there is no power in
America that can resist them, unless
it is the United States government.
No president has ever had the courage
to defy the power of these great rail-
road magnates except Roosevelt, and
there has been no other man in public
life within a quarter Of century who
could have so successfully challenged
their supremacy. Roosevelt has had
rare sagacity in attracting public at
tention to his administrative acts and
has won great success by appealing to
the masses for support as against the
organized power, not only Of the COM
bined corporations of the country, but
of their subservient politicians as
well. He is the most powerful char
acter that has appeared in American
politics since Abraham Lincoln,
and it is doubtful If Lincoln
himself ever had such firm grip on
the public sentiment Of the country
The president has won in defiance of
a majority of his own party in both
the senate and the house. His per-
sonal popularity is so great that every
reactionary senator when he seeks re-
election before the people of his own
state goes upon the stump and loudly
praises the president, though in his
heart he hates him, in the senate
votes against his measures, and does
not believe In any of his policies.
This is exactly the case of Senator
Long. Personally he dislikes Roose-
welt; he hates his political methods;
and he does not believe in a single
one of his progressive ideas. Long
has never supported the Roosevelt
policies except for expediency's sake
and his votes in the senate show that
he has utterly disregardei the recon.
mendations of the president in behalf
of vital reform measures.
Longs Connection With the Platform.