The state herald., 1908-09-18
FARMER WRITES TO BRYAN.
In Terse Terms Tells Peerless One
Why He Won't Contribute.

"iH'i III IcSppnSe 10 tIe DenOcratlc
appeal for campaign contributions:
Hon w. j. Bryan, Lincoln, Neb.:
My Dear Sir-As farmer, in my
reply to your request that the farmers
contribute to your campaign fund,
Will say that | cannot give you any
thing, us your speech accepting your
nomination shows that, as President,
you could not accomplish anything
You say that, If elected, you will only
serve four years, and that promptly
after your term begins you will call
Congress In extra session, so that you
can begin TO reform the abuses at once
But II, us you say, nothing can be done
while Congress, or even the Senate, is
under Republican control, why convene
an extra session, as all know the Sem
ate cannot possibly change in less than
four years, If then?
81 frankly admit your many good
qualities and generous impulses, but 1t
seems TO me that n man who would Sc
riously propose your dangerous free
silver and government railroad owner
ship schemes, as you have done, has not
that practical business tact required to
make Il safe President. You did well
to 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 as President what was in your
platform. you made most serious mis-
take, which effectually ties your hands
and dlsqualities 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 as that before. The
fear OF these two mistaken hobbies
marred your whole speech 1t 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,
NhNHf "a AhAAs AAl'N' iNVf NhANh NNi'
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 80 many
quirks 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 you speak are
the fruits Of the evil inherent In hui
man nature, which ARE present In one
form or another under the rule OF all
parties and republican rule no more
created them. ms you charge, than It
created your abuse Of your party's con
iidencc, or the crimes OF your party In
robblng large element Of our voters
Of their ballots In several states. and
which. though claiming that the peo-
ple's rule or rights was the issue,
you We're 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 former convention,
you deceived Il into nominating you
for president with your false claim
that the country would be ruined with
the gold policy Of the republican party
unless you were chosen TO destroy II
with your free silver plan. But you
now see II would have wrecked the
ruuntry's interests. and you have even
Kicked that lunucy out Of your present
platform aud. infcrentlally, made a
Solemn promise Ia your speech to never
emil II up again. That abuse was more
dangerous than all the other present
abuses combined; hut you will agree
with me that republican rule did not
create II. That was bad business,
but you are Just as confident now that
the nostrums In your present platform.
with you as president 10 apply them.
will bring In the political millennium
Hs you were when running before. when
your succcss would have ruined the
country
III you are afraid that Mr., Taft will
be- too tnrly In publishing his cam
pllgn subscriptions, or that n the rich
people give his campaign fund anything
II Will prevent him. II elected as presl.
dent, from reforming the abuses, why
don't you publish the vast gifts Of tho
b1rona aud silver kings TO your cnm.
palsn fund, when a former candidate I;
NJ why dld you take themi or per.
laps you would have been too good for
sueh gifts To have corrupted you had
yuu been elected president
~ Is pity that every other chndI.
date Is n rascal but you. n you nre 10
be- elected the outlook Is not nuspleious.
with man for president who is afraid
10 put his chief Views or policies In MI.
platform. and then Ia draw attention
from the fact by claiming n great
growth for them. mud running ON tho
assumption that he Is the only honest
candidate, nnd for party which tho
people have only lntruHtcd with the
.tst,,ar fnr "a abnVt iutsvYaI tu ara.