Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1908-08-21
Bryan's Speech Of Acceptance.

William Jennings Bryan was ON Weones'
day of last week formally notified OF his nom
ination as the candidate for the presidency
on the Democratic ticket. Congressman Clay
ton, Of Alabama, made the notification speech
In reply, Mr.. Bryan said, in part:
81 cannot accept the nomination which
you officially tender without first acknowl.
edging my deep Indebtedness to the Demo
cratic party for the extraordinary honor
which il has conferred upon me. Having
twice before been candidate for the Presi-
dency, in campaigns which ended in defeat,
o third nomination, the result OF the free
and voluntary act OF the voters Of the party
can only be explained by substantial and I'M
disputed growth in the principles and policies
for which I, with multitude Of others, have
commended. As these principles have given
me whatever political strength | possessed,
the action Of the convention not only renewn
my faith in them, but strengthens my at
tachment to them.
PLATFORM Is BINDING.
platforms are entirely in harmony with
this democratic idea. A platform announces
the party's position on the questions which
are at issue, and an official Is not ct liberty
to use the authority vested in him 10 urge
personal views which have not been submit
ted to the voters for their approval. II one
lie nominated upon platform which Is not
satisfactory to him, he must, II candid, either
decline the nomination or in accepting i
propose an amended platform in lieu OF the
one adopted by the convention. No such
situation, however, confronts your candidate,
for the platform upon which 1 was nominat-
ed not only contains nothing from which |
dissent, but it specially outlines all the re.
medal legislation we can hope to secure dur
ing the next four years.
SHALL THE PEoPLE RULR2
sour platform declares that the over-shAd-
owing Issue which mAnifests itself In all the
questions under discussion Is Shall the PEG.
pie ruler No matter which way we turn no
matter to what subject we address ourselves,
the same question confronts us: Shall the
people control their own Government and
use that Government for the protection Of
their rights and for the promotion Of their
weliare2 or shall the representatives OF pre-
datory wealth prey upon detenseless public,
while the offenders secure immunity from
subservient officials whom they raise to pow
err by interruptions methodist This 10 tie
issue raised by the known abuses TO which
Mr.. Taft refers.
REPUBLICAN PARTY REsPoNsIBLE.
"Why were these known abuses permitted
10 uoV6lOp w ny uhNo tuOy NV uoou CUE-
rected If existing laws are sufficient, why
have they not been enforced All of the eI-
ecuuve machinery Of the Federal Governme nt
is in the hands OF the Republican party. Are
new laws necessary why have they not
been enacted With Republican President
to recommend, with Republican Congress
to carry out his recommendations, why does
the Republican candidate plead tor further
time in which to do what should have been
done long ago2 Can Mr.. Taft be more
strenuous in the prosecution OF wrongdoers
than the present Executive2 Can he ask for
larger majority IN the Senate than his party
now has Does he need more Republicans in
the House of Representatives or Speaker
with more unlimited authority
WY NO TARIFF REFORM.
"The Presidents close friends have been
promising for several years that he would
attack the iniquities Of the tariff. We have
had intimation that Mr.. Taft was FESTIVE I'M
der the demands of the highly protected In
dustries. And yet the influence Of the man
ufacturers, who have for 26 years contributed
TO the Republican campaign fund, and who
In return have framed the tariff schedules,
has been sufficient to prevent tariff reform.
Az the preeept campaign approached both
he President and Mr.. Taft declared 10 favor
Of tariff revision, but set the date OF revision
after the election. But the pressure brought
10 boar by the protected interests has 5sen
great enough to prevent any attempt al Wrif
reform 0afore the election, and the reduction
promised sfter the election Is so hedged sboat
viii VRsiifying phrases that no ono can s8'
innate with accuracy the sum total OF tariff
reform to be expected in case of Republican
success. II the past can be taken as guide,
the Republican party will be so obligated by
campaign contributions from the beneficial
ries Of protection as to make that party pow
erless TO bring to the country any material
relief from the present tariff burdens.
Why No ANTI-TRusr LEGISLATION.
ga few years ago the Republican leaders
in the House OF Representatives were coerced
by public opinion into the support Of an an
thrust law which had the endorsement Of
the President, but the Senate refused even to
consider the measure, and since that time no
effort has been made by the dominant party
to secure remedial legislation upon this sub
ject.
"For ten year the Interstate Commerce
Commission has been asking for an enlarge
ment of it's powers, that 1t might prevent re-
bates and discrimin aaons, but Republican
Senate and REPUBLICAN House Of Rep
resentatives were unmoved by its entreaties.
In 1900 the Republican National Convention
was urged 10 indorse the demand for rail-
way legislation, but its platform Was silent
on the subject Even In 1904 the convention
gave no pledge to remedy these abuses
When the President finally asked for legisla-
ton, he drew his inspiration from three
d emocratic national platforms and he received
more cordial support from the Democrats
than from the Republicans.
1.-THE Republicans in the Senate deliberate
ly defeated several amendments offered by
senator La Toilette and supported by the
emocrats--amendment embodying legsla.
ton asked by the Interstate Commerce Com
mission, one of which authorized the ascertain :
ment OF the value of railroads. This amend
ment was not only defeated by the Senate,
but il was Overwhelmingly rejected by the
recent Republican National Convention, and
the Republican candidate has sought to res.
cue his party from the disastrous results Of
this act by expressing himself, In @ qualified
way, In favor of ascertaining the value Of the
railroads.
OyRR.IssUE or SToCKs AND Bonds.
"Mr. Taft complains of the over-issue OF
stocks ana bonds Of railroads, for the I'M
10 wful enriching OF directors and for the pur-
pose OF concentrating the control Of the rail
rOa0s unQer one management nuu tu1 COm-
plant is we'll founded. But, with Pres-
dent to point out the evil, and Republican
Congress to correct it, we find nothing done
for the protection OF the public Why Ny
honorable opponent has, by his confession,
relieved me Of the necessity Of furnishing
proof; he admits the condition and he can
not avoid the logical conclusion that must be
drawn from the admission.
There Ia no doubt Whatever that large
majority Of the voters Of the Republican parry
recognize the deplorable situation which Mr..
Taft describes; they recognize that the masses
have had but little influence upon legislation
or upon the administration OF the Govern
ment, and they are beginning to understand
the cause. For a generation, the Republican
party has drawn its campaign funds from inc
beneiciaries of special legislation. Privileges
have been pledged and granted In return Tor
money contributed to debauch elections
VIVA; can be expected when official authority
10 turned over to the representatives OF nose
who first furnish the sinews OF war and then
reimburse themselves out OF the pockets OF