Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1908-06-26
Bryan on Republican Platform
Says They are in Retreat, and sees
Defeat for Reforms all Along
the Line---President
not Upheld.

Mr.. Bryan in this weeks COmmoner
has this to say about the action of the
Republican National Convention:
''The Republicans who attended the
national convention as spectators and
joined in the demonstration in favor of
President Roosevelt and Senator La
Follettemust have felt indignant as they
watched the panic-stricken delegates
running over each other in their effort
to get away from the La Toilette re-
forms, some of which had been indoors
ed by the President himself. Repre-
sentative Cooper of Wisconsin, repre-
senting the La Toilette men, brought
in minority report signed by himself
alone. Fifty-two members of the COM
mittee signed the majority report. The
Republican party will find the ratio of
81 TO a very embarrassing one to deal
with in the coming campaign.
FAVORED CAMPAIGN PUBLICITY.
"Mr. Cooper's report contained
declaration in favor of publicity as to
campaign funds. 1t was lost by vote
of $50 to 81, more than nine to one, and
yet the President has been advocating
Legislation in favor of publicity in cam
paign contributions, and Secretary
Taft wrote letter to Mr.. Burrows adj
vocating the passage 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 presided turned down the
publicity plank by a vote of to l.
Who will deny that ON this subject the
Republican party is retreating?
"Another plank of the La Toilette
platform authorized the ascertaining of
the values of the railroads This plank
was lost by vote of 81 to 63-nearly
10 to land yet President Roosevelt
had advocated this very proposition.
Here is retreat on the railroad ques-
tionn
ON INJUNCTION PLANK.
In another column reference is made
to the injunction plank. 1t says: ''The
injunction plank, adopted by the Re
publican convention, is retreat from
the position taken by the President,
and from the position taken by Secre-
tary Taft in his speeches, although
neither of them went as far as they
ought in their effort to prevent what is
known as government by injunction.
Here is the third retreat.
"The President has advocated the in
come tax as means of preventing
swollen fortunes and of equalizing the
burdens of government. The Republi-
can platform is silent on the subject
Was the President right in the position
he took P? If so, then the convention
was wrong in not indorsing him. Will
the Republican voters follow the Pres
ident in this just demand, or will they
follow the Republican organization in
retreating from it?
''The President advocated an inheri-
lance tax, but the Republican conven-
ton is silent On that subject. Was the
President ahead of the Republican par
ty in advocating this reform, or has the
Republican party receded from the
Presidents position? Did the Presi-
dent give false alarm on this question
or has the party sounded retreat?
NO INITIATION OF DANGER
ain the Presidents message to Con-
gress last spring he presented an in
dictment against the conspiracy formed
among the great lawbreakers to prevent
the enforcement of the law and to
evade the punishments provided by
law. The platform adopted by the Re
publican convention contains no init
nation of danger. If there are any
conspiracies the convention did not see
them ; if there are any combinations,
it had not heard of them; if there are
any dangers ahead, it was unconscious
of them. Was the President mistaken
when he issued his defiance, or are the