Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1908-10-24
Raps Its Own Platform by So
vereIy criticizing Repub-
lican Tariff Plank.
MIR. LoNGwoRTH ON DYNASTY
Presidents Sen. in Law Declares Eight
Years Taft---Then Roosevelt
Republicans are Incenscd at the He
marks Made by LongwOrth in His
Rock Island. ILL.,. Speech ON the
Succession of Presidency.

The Omaha Bee. published by Vic
tor koSewatcr, member of the kepuD-
licun national committee. and head OF
the Republican campaign publicity bu-
reau. has made the blunder OF criti-
cisng vigorously part of the tarin
plank OF the Republican platform. the
writer being under the impression that
hc was really pouring hot shOt INTO
MIR. Bryan. The Democratic leader. in
recent speech. had quoted that part
OF the Republican platform which ~
criticised.
The editorial In Mr.. RoSewatcr's pa
per gups on the theory that this lam
gtiagr was Mr. Bryans own. the
writer failing to notice that the Ian
guagc was really part Of the platform
on which Mr.. Taft is running.
The consequence OF this Is that Mr..
Bryan and Ills friends have on broad
grin and they think that the smiles
at Fairview are likely TO spread to all
Democrats IN the country.
The words complained Of in the Bee
editorial were these:
In all tariff legislation the true
principle il best maintained by the i'm
position Of such duties as will equal
the difference between the cost OF
production ut home and abroad. To-
gcthcr with reasonable profit to Amer
lean industries"
The Bee went on 20 puncturc this
language in the following St!lc:
Nothing prcttier in the catrh-all
line has been offered IN this cam
paign. The most hide bound stand
In, tina
rs satisfactory and the rankcSt free
trader can find delight in it. The dee
laration means simply nothing. An at
tempt TO lcgislate along that line
woud simply OPEN the way 10 inter
minable wranglng as 10 what consti-
tuteS "A reasonable profit. for hair
splitting on wages on one industry,
price Of raw materials in another. re-
bates and drawbacks In n third and
so on through the list of thousands Of
articles that are now on the tarlff re-
vision. nj Bryan's direction. would
serve only Ia halt Industrial and com
mcrcial progress and keep business I'M
settled during his term Of office"
The Omaha World Herald shows
that the words complained Of are not
part of any speech of Mr.. Bryan,
but n part of the tariff plank of the
Republican platform.
Mr. Bryan had this 10 say when
the matter was called TO his atten-
ton:
81 am very much surprised that Mr.
Roscwatcr should have attempted e.
misreprcScnt my position \ good
many unfair things have been said b.
Mr.. Roscwater. TO accuse me OF
using the language OF the Republican
platform is an outrage. He ought 10
apologize for this injustice and eX-
plain To his readers that the language
which he criticises was taken from the
Republican platform and not from any
speech of mine
This is n rich lind. II shaws how
absurd the Republican platform looks
10 Republican when the Republican
has a chance TO look at 1t I'm Il diSin-
terested way. When Mr.. Roscwater
thought that the language quoted was
taken from a speech Of mine he could
SIZE how ridiculous the language was.
! hope that his opinion of the language
will not change when he finds that he
was shooting at his own platform in
stead at me.
"The amusing blundcr Of the Omaha
Bee suggests a new diversion for the
campaign Let the Democrats accuse
me OF using various sections from the
Republican platform and from Mr..
Taft's speeches and see how the Re
publican editors Will ridicule the Ian
guagc.'