Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1908-09-11
FARMER WRITES TO BRYAN.
In Terse Terms TsIlS Peerless One
Why He Won't Contribute.

Jarner IN response TO InG Democratic
Ippeal for campaign contributions:
Hon. w. J. Bryan, Lincoln, Neb.:
My Dear SiT-As a farmer, In my
'eply to your request that the farmers
contribute to your campaign fund,
will say that cannot give you any
hing, as your speech accepting your
nomination shows that, as President,
Tou could not accomplish anything.
You say that, If elected, you win only
serve foair years, and that promptly
after your term begins you viii call
Congress- in extra session, so that you
IAN begin 20 reform the abuses at once.
But IT, as you say, nothing can be done
while Congress, or even the Senate, is
IN extra session, as all know the Sem
lte cannot possibly change in less than
our years, il then2
II frankly admit your many good
qualities and generous impulses, but it
seems to me that man VINO would Sc
.iously propose your dangerous free
silver and government railroad owner
ship schemes, as you have done, has not
that practical business tact required to
make safe President. You did well
10 drop these lunacies from your plat
form, but when, TO still public alarm
lest, If elected, you would call them up,
you promised in your speech to only
favor MS President what was in your
platform, you made most serious mis-
take, which efrectually ties your hands
and dsqualifies you for the presidency,
as scores of issues and subjects outside
Of your platform, and which are vital
TO the country's interests, may press
themselves upon you for action.
mo presidential candidate ever made
such a promise ms that before. The
fear OF these two mistaken hobbies
married your whole speech. II was
another fatal mistake when, to draw
attention away from these two hobbies.
you declared there had been great pop
ular growth In your views and policies.
when, in fact, these two, which were
your only prominent ones, had been left
out OF your platform. We have never
had presidential candidate before who
proposed to bring In such millennium
of reforms, who had to make 30 many
qulrks In his speech OF acceptance to
conceal and cover up his most import
ant views rather than TO Justify and
explain them
THE abuses OF which yon speak are
In, In
man nature, which are present In one
form or another under the rule of all
parties, and republican rule no more
created them. as you charge, than 1t
created your abuse of your party's con-
idence, or the crimes of your party ia
robbing large element of our voters
Of their ballots I'm several states, and
which though claiming that the peo-
pies rule or rights was the issue,
you were afraid to even mention in
your speech, much less condemn.
1T was great abuse of your party's
confidence when, with your speech for
free silver before a former convention,
you deceived II into nominating you
for president with yonr false claim
that the country would be ruined with
the gold policy OF the republican party
unless you were chosen TO destroy Il
with your free silver plan. But you
now see II would have wrecked the
country's interests and you have even
kicked that iunacy out of your present
platform and, inferentially, made
solemn promise In your speech to never
call II up again. That abuse was more
dangerous than all the other present
abuses combined but you will agree
with me that republican rule did not
but you are just as confident now that
the nostrums IN your present platform,
with you .as president to apply them,
viii bring In the political millennium
as you were when running before, when
your success would have ruined the
country.
IF you are afraid that Mr.. Taft will
be too tardy in publishing his cam
palgn subscriptions, or that IL the rich
people give bis campaign fund anything
dent from reforming the abuses, why
don't You publish the vast gifts of the
barons and silver kings TO your cam
paign fund, when q former candidate;
Or why did you take themp Or per.
laps You would have been too good for
such gifts TO have corrupted you had
you been elected president
at is pity that every other cnndi-
date Is rascal but you. If you are to
Dc elected the outlook Is not anspicious.
with a man for president who is afraid
10 put his chief views or policies In his
platform, and then 10 draw attention
from the fact by claiming a great
growth for them, and running on the
assumption that ne is the only honest
candidate, and for a party which the
people have only intrusted with the
power for short interval I'm City
years, and which, wrecked all interests