Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-08-12
BRYAN DULY NOTIFIED
and RESPONDS With
CHARACTERISTIC TALK

pOrtant particulars, thus rebuking the
leaders of the party, upon whose CO.
operation he must rely for the enact
ment of remedial legislation.
LAS | shall, in separate speeches,
discuss the leading questions at issue,
| shall at this time confine myself to
the paramount question, and to the
far-reaching purpose of our party. as
that purpose is set forth in the plat
form
Shall the People Rule.
Our platform declares that the
overshadowing issue which manifests
Itself in all the questions now under
discussion, is Shall the people ruler
No matter which way we turn; no
matter to what subject we address
us: Shall the people control their own
government, and use that government
for the protection of their rights and
for the promotion of their welfare?
or shall the representative of preda
tory wealth prey upon a defenseless
munity from subservient officials
whom they raise to power by unscrup-
ulous methods? This is the issue
raised by the known abuses to which
Mr.. Taft refers
indictment Against the Party.
I'm a message sent to congress last
January, President Roosevelt said:
The attacks of these great corpora
tIons on the administrations act: DIES
lave been given a wide circulation
throughout the country, in the news
Capers and otherwise, by those Writer'S
and speakers who consciously or IN
consciously, act as the representatives
o. predatory wealth-Of the wealth ac-
| camulated on a giant scale by all
| forms of iniquity, ranging from the
oppression of wage earners to unfair
and unwholesome methods of crush
| irg out competition, and to defraud-
| ing the public by stock-Jobbing and
| the manipulation of securities. Ger
| tam wealthy men of this stamp, whose
| conduct should be abhorrent to every
1
and who commit the hideous wrong
Of teaching our young men that phe-
nomenal business success must ordl
naIily be based on dishonesty, have,
during the last few months, made it
apparent that they have banded to-
gether to work for a reaction. Their
endeavor is to overthrow and discredit
| ali who honestly administer the law,
to prevent any additional legislation
which would check and restrain them,
and to secure. if possible, freedom
| from all restraint which will permit
every INSCRIPTIONS wrong-doer to dc
what he wishes unchecked, provided
he has enough mOney.-What an ar
fragment of the predatory interests!
rs the presidents indictment true?
And. if true, against whom was the
Indictment directed? Not against the
democratic party.
| MIR. Taft Endorses the Indictment.
| "Mr. Taft says that these evils
have crept in during the last 10 years
He declares that, during this time
some prominent and influential mem
Ders of the community, spurred By
financial success and in their hurry
for greater wealth, became unmind
full of the common rules of bushes!
honesty and fidelity, and of the limi
tations imposed by law upon theil
actions;' and that the revelations o
the breaches of trusts, the disclosure!
as to rebates and determinations b.
railroads, the accommodating evidence
of the violations of the anti-trus
laws. by a number of corporations
and the over-issue of stocks and bond
of interstate railroads for the unlawful
enriching of directors and for the pun
pose of concentrating the control o
the railroads under one management
, all these, he charges, 'quickened tn,
; conscience of the people and brougn
on a moral awakening
During all this time, / beg to re
mind you. republican officials preside,
in the executive department, filled tn
cabinet, dominated the senate, cor
trolled the house of representative
and occupied most of the fedora
judgeships Four years ago the reput