The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1908-06-27
"IN FULL RETREAT. /"
". ]. BRYAN THUS DESCRIBES THE
ACTION OF THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY.
The G. o. P. Again Shows It's Subserv-
iency to Predatory Wealth.
The Specifications Given When the Chic
ago Convention Renigged on
Roosevelt.

tors ana ]Olned IN the demonStra-
tion in favor of President Roose-
veIt and Senator LaFollette, must
have felt indignant as they watch
ed the panic-stricken delegates
running over each other in their
effort to get away from the La
Toilette reforms, some of which
had been endorsed by the Presi-
dent himself. Congressman Coop
er, of Wisconsin, representing
the La Toilette men, brought in a
minority report signed by him
self alone. Fifty-two of the
committee signed the majority re-
port and one signed the minority
report. The Republican party
will find the ratio of 50 to !
very embarrassing one to deal
with in the coming campaign.
"Mr. Cooper's report contained
a declaration of publicity as to
campaign funds. 1t was lost by a
vote of $50 to "a, more than 8 to
/, and yet the President has been
advocating legislation in favor of
publicity of campaign contribu-
tions and Secretary Taft wrote to
Mr.. Burrows advocating the pas
sage of a publicity bill. How
fortunate it was that Secretary
Taft's letter was finally discovered
and published. Senator Burrows,
the man to whom the Taft letter
was addressed, was the temporary
chairman of the convention and
the convention over which he pre-
sided turned down the publicity
plank by vote of 8 to Il; who
will deny that on this subject, the
Republican party is retreating?
Another plank of the La Fol-
Iette platform, authorized the as
certaining of the value of the rail
roads. This plank was lost by a
vote of 917 to sc, nearly Is to /,
and yet President Roosevelt has
advocated this very proposition.
Here is retreat on the railroad
question.
In another column, reference
is made to the Injunction plank.
The injunction plank adopted by
the Republican convention is a
retreat from the position taken
by Secretary Taft in his speeches,
although neither of them went as
far as they ought to have gone in
their effort to prevent what is
known as government by injunc-
tion.
Here is the third retreat:
The President has advocated
the income tax as a means of pre-
venting swollen fortunes and of
equaIizing the burdens of govern
ment. The Republican platform
is silent on the subject. Was the
President right in the position be
tookg Then the convention was
wrong in not endorsing him.
Will the Republican voters follow
Che President in this just demand
or will they follow the Republican
organization in retreatIng from it
The President advocated an
Inheritance tax, but the Republi-
can convention is silent on that
subject. Was the President ahead
of the Republican party in advo-
eating this reform, or has the
Republican party receded from
the Presidents position? Did
the President give a false alarm
on this question or has the party
sounded retreat?
In the Presidents message to
Congress last spring be presented
an Indictment against the con-
spiracy formed among the great
law breakers to prevent the en-
forcement of the law and to evade
the punishments provided by law.
The platform adopted by the Re
publican convention contains no
lintimation of danger. II there
are any conspiracies the conven-
tion did not see them; if there
are any combinations, it has not
heard Of them; ii there are any
dangers, they are unconscious of
them. Was the President mis-
taken when he issued his defiance
or are the Republican managers
deceived when they think that an
aroused public will calmly con-
template the encroachments of
predatory wealth. This is re-
treat number six. The conven-
ltion, by a vote Of S66 to liz
more than Z to / = voted down the
palnk ii favor Of tile popular cleo
Ition of United States Senators.
1t Is true that the President and
Secretary Taft have never adVo-
Gated the popular election Of SEN
sators. They seem to take the
| Haniiltouian, rather than The
sJefapsonian view, but the most
lpopuIaf reform IN the United
Estates to-day il the reform that
lhas for its object the election oI
| United States Senators biz direct
lvote. Ii has five times been en-
ldoraed by the national louse ot