The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1909-09-15
Candidates Have Right to Repudiate Platform Demands but
Should Do So Before the Election
harmony IN THE PARTY ON THE TARIFF QUESTION
Unless Democrats Can Reach Agreement Before Next Election Victory
Would Be an Inuy-PIans Suggested Which Should Be In
serted in Every Congressional Platform

Dallas, Texas, Sept. 15.-William
Jennings Bryan, democratic presi-
dental candidate in the recent ma
tional election, yesterday morning
addressed large audience in Bush
Temple in this city.
Mr.. Bryan's subject was 'Democ-
racy and the Tariff, in which he
emphasized the necessity of senator's
and representatives being bound by
platforms and suggested the plat
form upon which the democracy
stand on the tariff issues.
Il believe that a candidate mas
right to repudiate part of his plat
form if he believes the platform
wrong" said Mr.. Bryan, "but this
reputation must be made before
the election, so that his declarations
on the subject may constitute new
platform which will be binding upon
him.
"In my acceptance speech at Lin
coin, Neb., a year ago | discussed
this subject and outlined what | re-
gard as the democratic position on
the subject / expressly recognized
the right of Mr.. Taft to dissent from
the action of his convention on Ger
tain questions, and to substitute his
own pledge for the pledge that the
convention refused to make, and
when | was in congress | refused to
vote for the repeal OF the tax upaa
state banks, because | had in my
campaign dissented from that plank
of the platform and promised my
constituents to vote against it.
Owing to the fact that number
of senators and members have re1us-
ed to be bound by the national plat
form on some propositions, | think
that every congressional platform
ADOPTED next year should begin with
a blank declaring that platforms are
binding, and I will later suggest
form for such plank.
Il take the liberty of presenting
some of the reasons that lead me
ana those who think as | do to favor
1.-The admission of the principal raw
materials free from duty, and in or
der that the issue may be made plaln
II submit three planks which | think
should be inserted in every con-
gressional platform.
| IF all of the democrats in the
senate and house had voted against
leyery proposed increase in the tar
Iiff and for every proposed decrease
we might have made our fight next
wear upon the party's record without
making a specific declaration OF
items or schedules, but in view o.
the fact that democrats in both the
senate and house differed as to the
Interpretation of the democratic
platform and as to the rates ina
should be imposed under the various
schedules, I believe that it is neces
sary for our platform to be speclfl'
Iand emphatic. If we expect to secure
control of congress We must con
Vince the public that we will, If en-
trusted with power, favor materia
reductions and unless our candidate
for congress can agree before tht
election, they are not likely to agre'
after the election.
Mr.. Bryan then read the thre'
planks to which he referred as fol
lows:
"First, platform is pledge
given by the candidate to the voter
land when ratified at the polls be
comes a contract between the OIL
cial and his constituents. To vic
late it in letter or in spirit, is no
only undemocratic, but repugnan
to the principles of representativ
government and constitutes an en-
bezzlement of power
Second, we denounce the despo1
ism known as Cannonism, and fave
such an amendment of the rules
the national house of represents
ltives as will restore popular govern
Iment in that body and insure tn
lrule of the majority on every que
tion.
Third, we endorse the tart
lplank of the last national democra
lie platform and believe that tt