The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-08-21
Defends His Party's Record
Down to the Present.
TAKES SHOT AT BRYAN
On the Score of That Gentle
mans Abandoned Issues.
Declares Democrats Unfit Be.
cause Lack of Experience.


pie have ruled through the Republican
party" This is William H. Taft's
answer to Mr.. Bryan's challenge
Shall the people rule?"
The answer was made in an address
the Republican presidential candidate
made today before a gathering of sew
eral thousand Virginia Republicans
who came to the mountains to see and
| hear him and to celebrate "Virsfnia
day."
To make his point perfectly clear
Mr.. Taft referred to the first election
or Mckinley as one of the most intel
ligent and effective expressions of
| popular Will ever manifested to the
Woria and the maintenance Of the gold
standard and a protective tariff by
his administration was a correct in
| depreciation of the peoples WILL ''This
was shown to be so,'' he continued
| by even a greater majority for the
party in 1900, and a still greater ma
| Jority in 1904, when Roosevelt was
elected and he added, I'VE may well
| submit to the country, whether his
administration has not expressed the
will of the people,"
Preceding Mr.. Taft in short ad-
dress Congressman c. S. Slemp had
this to say in answer to the same ques-
| ton: Can 1t be possible that he (Bry-
am had reference to the political sit
| uation in Virginia? Does he not know
that under existing laws so per cent of
the white and 80 per cent of the col
ored population of voting age have
been disfranchized. Does he not know
| that they have no voice in the govern
ment of either this state or this ma
ton? And can he call this a rule of
the people? No wonder Mr.. Bryan will
make no political speeches in the
south Conditions here do not square
with his battle cry
Mr.. Taft was surrounded during his
speech by approximately 5000 people.
Accompanied by Mrs. Taft, Colonel B.
S. Allen. and Representative Slemp he
drove to the ball park in a carriage
with little Charlie Taft on the box with
the driver. Mr.. Vorys and Alvah Mar
tin. national committeeman from vir-
ginia. accompanied the party in an
other carriage. The scene at the
park was typical of a real country pic
mic. There were seats for but few
hundred, while the thousands had to
stand or sit on the ground. Mr.. Taft
occupied a hastily erected speakers
stand in front of the "bleachers"
benches. He was introduced by Col
onel Allen and his reception was cor
dial and his speech heartily applauded.
Mr. Taft's Address,
Mr.. Taft reviewed the record of the
Democratic party from the time of the
last Democratic administration in 1893
During this period" he said.
1T repealed the Mckinley tarin
man Wilson tariff bill of 1893. With
the prospect of Democratic tariff bill
subsequently passed, period OF In
dustrial depression set in which con-
tinued through the next presidential
campaign of 1896. The remedy for this
depression proposed by the Demo
cratic party under it's present leader
ship was a change from the gold stand
ard of currency and value which was
the measure of all pecuniary obliga-
tions to a silver standards change
which would have scaled the debts OF
all by quite so per cent and would have
produced financial crash in which the
business disaster could only have been
exceeded by the injury to our national
financial honor.
LAS soon as the Republican party
came into power in 1897 he said, ''it
repealed the German Wilson tariff bill
and enacted the present Dingley tariff
bill and with the assurance of an hon
est monetary standard confidence was
restored and a period of business ex-
pansion and prosperity followed to an
extent never before known in the his
tory of the world.
clared, "and the average standard of
living and enjoyment of life was ad-
vanced beyond precedent Attending
this great abuses developed growing
men entrusted with the management of
the business of others and of a greed
of financial power Of some
stimulated by enormous successes in
cident to the combination of capital in
large corporations.
Rosevelt's Crusade.
sSThese abuses" he said chiefly took
the form of the violation of the antitrust
law and granting of rebates and dis
ordinations by railroads to large ship
pers. When the extent of these evils
was brought home to the people" he
said President Roosevelt evoked the
attention of congress and the public
to them and proceeded to enforce the
laws then on the statute books
ssIt was not" he said, until Mr..
Roosevelt realizing to the full the dam
ger to which our society was exposed
unless the offending corporations rail-
way and industrial were made to obey
and fear the law, took vigorous action
in the recommendation OF new legisla-
ton and in the enforcement of the old
that anything very effective was done to
check the growing evil.
1.-The Republican congress which
had been elected with Roosevelt in
1904" Mr.. Taft said. made a record
for remedial legislation along the lines
recommended by the president which,
equaled in our time" Mr.. Taft re-
ferred to the railway rate bill. the bill
creating the bureau of corporations.
the pure food bill and the meat in
spection bill, most of which he declar-
ed encountered the open, bitter oppos-
ition of all the corporations and failed
of passage in the previous congress. In
spite of continued opposition they
were finally enacted into law.
What has been the result of this
legislation and executive action" He
asked "Secret rebates and unlawful
CONTINUED on Page Eight.)