Jasper County Democrat, Volume 15, Number 55, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 October 1912 — SOMERSAULTS OF ROOSEVELT [ARTICLE]

SOMERSAULTS OF ROOSEVELT

William Jennings Bryan Analyzes Record of Third Term Candidate. HIS SUDDEN CONVERSION. No Message In Behalf of People’s Cause In Seven and a Half Years T. R. Was President. By WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN. Solomon says that the borrower Is servant unto the lender. If this applies to one who borrows ideas Mr Roosevelt does not recognize the obit gation, for he has not only borrowed from the Democratic party as few pul> lie men have borrowed from an opposing party, but be has shown himself strangely ungrateful for the ideas taken. Of course it will not l>e contended that an idea can be patented. It Is the only thing, in fact, that is not subject to monopoly. Even Mr. Perkins, with all his fondness for the trust, would not contend that a monopoly in ideas could be formed and made subject to regulation by a bureau appointed by the president. Mr. Roosevelt, however, lias won his popularity by the advocacy of things previously advocated by the Democrats, and still he is all the while assailing tiie Democrats bitterly and has shown toward them a hostility that is hard to explain To show the extent of his borrowing, let me enumerate some of the things which lie now advocates that were advocated by the Democrats at an earlier date. Shall the People Rule? Take his paramount issue of the present campaign the rule of the people The platform adopted by the Democratic national convention at Denver four years ago contained the following: '■'Shall the people rule?" is the overwhelming issue which manifests itself in all the questions now under discussion.”

Here is the very phrase which he employs, and it is not only declared to be an issue, but the overwhelming issue. It was dwelt upon by the candidates and by other speakers during the campaign, so that Mr. Roosevelt, then president, may be assumed to have had notice of it;. He not only refused to admit then that it was the paramount issue, but he displayed extraordinary activity in urging upon the country Mr. Taft, whom he has since declared to be the agent of bosses and the enemy of popular government. It would seem that he ought to make some slight acknowledgment of his indebtedness to the Democratic party for suggesting this issue to him. At least, he might put the issue in quotation marks.

He Is now advocating the direct election of senators, but if he ever expressed himself in favor of this reform earlier than two years ago the fact has escaped my observation, and I have not only watched carefully, but waited anxiously, for some favorable expression from him. Long Fight For Popular Election of Senators. The Democratic party began the fight for the popular election of senators twenty years ago this summer, when a Democratic house of representatives at Washington passed for the first time a resolution submitting the necessarv amendment. Since that time a similar resolution has been passed by the house in five other congresses—first, in 1894 by another Democratic house; then, after two congresses hW~elapsed, by three Republican bouses, and. last, by the present Democratic house. During the twenty years the reform has been Indorsed in three Democratic platforms, the platforms of-1900. 1904 and and It has been indorsed by the legislatures of nearly two-thirds of the states. Mr. Roosevelt must have known of the effort which was being made by the people to secure the popular election of senators, and yet he took no part in the fight. During this time he was president for seven and onehalf years, and it is quite certain that a ringing message from him would have brought victory to the people’s cause, but no message came. Four years ago the convention which he controlled and which nominated Mr. Taft rejected, by a vote of seven to one. a resolution indorsing this reform Still Mr. Roosevelt did not say any thing. He neither rebuked the Republican convention nor indorsed the strong plank which was included in the Denver platform. Even Mr. Taft went so far during the campaign of 1908 as to say that PERSONALLY he was INCLINED to favor the popular election of senators by the people, but Mr. Roosevelt did not even indicate au intention in that direction, Now, when the reform is practically secured-the amendment being before the states for ratification—he declares himself in favor of it. Would it not be fair for him to indicate In some Way his appreciation of the long continued fight waged by the Democrats in behalf of this reform before he espoused It?

T. R. and the Income Tax. Mr. Roosevelt Is in favor of an income tax. How long since? His first Indorsement of It was during his second term, and then It was suggested as a means of limiting swollen for tunes and not as a means of raising revenue. The Democratic party In-

eluded - an fncome tax provTsloti iff me Wilson law of 1894. When this provision was declared unconstitutional by the supreme court by a majority of one the Democratic party renewed the tight and has contended for the Income tax in three national campaigns. In 1908 the Democratic platform demanded the submission of an amendment specifically authorizing an income tax—the very amendment now before the states for ratification. Mr. Roosevelt’s candidate. Mr. Taft declared during the campaign that an amendment was not necessary, and Mr. Roosevelt never made any argument in favor of the amendment or tn favor of the principle embodied in it The amendment has now been ratified by thirty-four states; but. so far as I know, Mr. Roosevelt has never made a speech in favor of its ratification nor. since the submission of the amendment, made a speech urging an income tax as a part of our fiscal-system. It would not require any great stretch of generosity on his. part to credit the Democratic party with priority in the advocacy of this reform.

Not Always For Railroad Regulation. Mr. Roosevelt is now an advocate of railroad regulation. When did he com mence? The Democratic party in its platforms of 189<>. 1900 and 1904 demanded an extension of the powers of the interstate commerce commission. Up to 1904 Mr. Roosevelt never discussed the subject of railroad regulation officially or in public speech, so far as I have been able to find. Although nominated without opposition in the convention, of 1904. his platform contained no promise of railroad regulation. By its attitude on the railroad question the Democratic party alienated the support of those railway officials who counted themselves Democrats, and Mr. Roosevelt, both in 1900. when be was a candidate for vice president, and In 1904. when lie was a candidate for president, had the benefit of tse support of those ex-Democrats. It was in 1904 that he wrote his famous letter to Mr. Harriman and in the state of New York profited by the campaign fund that Mr. Harriman raised. When after 1904 Mr. Roosevelt took up the subject of railroad regulation he found more hearty support among the Democrats In the senate and house than among the Republicans, so that be has reason to know that the Democratic party has f6r a long time planted itself boldly upon the people's side on the subject of railroad regulation. Under the circumstances we might expect some complimentary reference to our party's attitude instead of anathemas. T. R.’s Complete Somersault. On the subject of publicity as to campaign contributions he has not only adopted the Democratic position, but he has been compelled to turn a complete somersault in order to do so In 1908 the Democratic platform demanded the publication before election of the names of individual contributors and the amounts contributed. Mr. Roosevelt at that time indorsed Mr. Tafts contention that the publication should be deferred until after the election, and even went so far as to give reasons for believing that it would be Improper to make the publication before the election Two, years later be declared in favor of publicity before and after the election, landing on the Democratic side shortly before the law was enacted carrying out the Democratic platform on this subject Here, surely, he ought to praise the Democratic party for the pioneer work it has done in purifying politics. Here are a few of the things which bear the Democratic brand, and with all of bls experience on the plains be will not be able to “work the brand over” so as to make it look like “T. R.”