Jasper Weekly Courier, Volume 50, Number 48, Jasper, Dubois County, 14 August 1908 — Page 4

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ÄGGEPTS

Accord

With Platform.

Hearty

SHALL THE PEOFLE RULE

That Is fiie Oversfiadowlng Question.

REPUBLICANS RESPONSIBLE.

All Present Abuses a Result of Their Acts, "nil They Are Impotent to Correct Them.

Mr. Clayton nnd Ci'iitlomen of the yotlfioatlou Committee: I can not accept the nomination which you ollicialy tender, without first acknowledging my deep Indebtedness to the Democratic party for the extraordinary honor which it has conferred upon me. ITaving twice before been a candidate for the presidency, in campaigns which ended In defeat, a third nomination, the result of the free and voluntary act of the voters of the party, can only bo explained by a substantial and undisputed growth in the principles and policies for which I, with a multitude of others, have contended. As these principles and policies have given me whatever political strength I possess, the action of the convention not only renews my faith in them, but strengthens my attachment to them. A Platform Is Binding. I shall, In the near future, prepare a more formal reply to your notification, and. In that letter of acceptance, will deal with the platform In detail. It is suflicient, at this time, to assure you that I am in hearty accord with both the letter and the spirit of the platform. I endorse it in whole and in part, and shall, if elected, regard its declarations as binding upon me. And, I may add, a platform Is binding as to what it omits as well as to what it contains. According to the democratic Idea, the people think for themselves and select ollicials to carry out their wishes. The voters are the sovereigns;

the ollicials are the servants, employed for a fixed time and at a stated salary to do what the sovereigns .want done, and to do it in the way the sovereigns want it done. 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 at liberty to use the authority vested in him to urge personal views which have not been submitted to the voters for their approval. If one is nominated upon a platform which is not satisfactory to ldm, he must, if candid, either decline the nomination, or, in accepting it, propose an amended platform in lieu of the one adopted by the convention. No mich situation, however, confronts your candidate, for the platform upon which I was nominated not only contains nothing from which I dissent, but it specifically outlines all the remedial legislation which we can hope to secure during the next four years. Republican Challenge Accepted. The distinguished statesman who received the Republican nomination for president sa'd, in his notification speech: "The strength of thoUepubllcan cause in the campaign at hand is the fact that we represent the policies essential to the reform of known abuses, to the continuance of liberty and true prosperity, and that we are determined, is our platform unequivocally declares, to maintain them and carry them on." In the name of the Ikunocratlc party, I accept the challenge, and charge that the Republican party is responsible for all the abuses which now exist in the federal government, aud that It ü impotent to accomplish the reforms which are Impcrativeh needed. Further, I can not eviic in the statement that the Itepubl! an platform unequivocally declares for the reforms that are necessary; on the contrary, I affirm that It openly and notoriously disappoints the he pes and expectations of reformers, whether those reformers bo Republicans or Democrats. So far did the Republican convention fall short of its Juty that the Republican candidate felt It necessary to add to his platform in several important particulars, thus rebuking the leaders of the party, upon whose co-operation he must rely for the enactment of remedial legislation. As I shall. In separate speeches, dlscuss the leading questions at Issue, 1 vhall nt this time confine myself to the paramount question, and to the farreachlng purpose of our party, as that purpose Is et forth In the platform. Shall the People Rule? I Our platform declarej that the over

shadowing tesne which manifests Itself in all the questions now under discussion. Ia 'Shall thi; people rule?" No matter whh.h way we turn: no matter to what subject '.e address ourselves, the same quc.-tion confronts us: Shall th people control their own government, and use that government for the protection of their rights and for the promotion of their welfare? or Fhall the representatives of predatory wealth prey upon a defenseless public, while the offenders secure Immunity from subservient officials whom they raise

to power by unscrupulous methods?; This Is the Issue raised by the "known ! abuses" to which Mr. Taft refers. ! President's Indictment Against the;

Party. In a message sent to congress last

Januarv. President Roosevelt said:.

"The attacks by these reat corporations on the administration' actions have been given a wide circulation throughout the country, In the newspapers and otherwise, by those writers and speakers who, consciously or unconsciously, act as the representatives of predatory wealth ? the wealth accumulated on a giant scale by all forms of iniquity, ranging from the oppression of wage earners t unfair and unwholesome methods of crushing out competition, and to defrauding the public by stock-Jobbing and the manipulation of securities. Certain wealthy men of tills stamp, whose conduct should be abhorrent to every man of ordinarily decent conscience, and who commit the hideous wrong of teaching our young men that phenomenal business success must ordinarily be based on dishonesty, have, during the last few months, made it apparent that they have banded together to work for a redaction. Their endeavor Is to overthrow and discredit all who honestly administer the law. to prevent anv additional legislation which would cheek and restrain them, and to secure, if possible, a freedom from all restraint which will permit every unscrupulous wrong-doer t'o do what he wishes unchecked, provided he has enough money." What an arraignment of the predatory Interests! Is the president's indictment true? And, if true, against whom was the Indictment directed? Not against the Democratic party. Mr. Taft Endorses the Indictment. Mr. Taft says that these evils have crept In during the last ten years. lie declares that, during this time, some "prominent and Influential members of the community, spurred by financial success and In their hurry for greater weal tli. became unmindful of the common rules of business honesty and fidelity, and of the limitations Imposed by law upon their actions!" and that "the revelations of the breaches of trusts, the disclosutcs as to rebates and discriminations by railroads, the

accumulating ' evidence cf the violations of the anti-trust laws, by a minil)er of corporations, and the over-issue of stocks and bonds of interstate railroads for the unlawful enriching of directors and for the purpose of concentrating the control of the railroads under one management," all these, he charges, "quickened the conscience of the people and brought on a moral awakening." During all this time. I beg to remind you. Republican officials presided in the executive department, tilled the cab

inet, dominated the senate, controlled

the house of representatives and occupied most of the federal judgeships. Four years ago the Republican platform boastfully declared that since 1SC0 with the exception of two years the Republican party had been in control of part or of all the branches of the federal government; that for two years only was the Democratic party In a position to cither enact or repeal a law. Having drawn the salaries; having enjoyed the honors; having secured the prestige, let the Republican party accept the responsibility! Republican Party Responsible. Why were these "known abuses" permitted to develop? Why lrave they not been corrected? If existing laws are sufficient, why have they not leen enforced? All of the executive ma chinery of the federal government is in the hands of the Republican party. Are new laws necessary? Why have they not been enacted? With a Republican president to recommend, with a Republican senate and house to carry out his recommendations, why does the Republican candidate plead for further time in which to do what should have been done long ago? Can Mr. Taft promise to be more strenuous In the prosecution of wrong-doers than fhe present executive? Can he ask for a larger majority in the senate than his party now has? Does he need more Republicans In the house of representatives or a speaker with more unlimited authority. Why No Tariff Reform? The president's close friends have boen promising for several years that

he would attack the iniquities of the

tariff. We have had Intimation that Mr. Taft was restive under the demands of the highly protected industries. And yet the inlhieiuv of the manufacturers, who have for twentyfive years contributed to the Republican campaign fund, and who in return have framed tho tariff schedules, has been sufficient to prevent tariff reform. As the present campaign approached, both the president and Mr. Taft declared In favor of tariff revision, but sot tho date of revision after the election. Rut the pressure brought to bear by the protected Interests has been great enough to prevent any attempt at tariff reform before the election; ami the reduction promised after the election is so hedged alout with qualifying phrases, thnt no one can estimate with accuracy the sum total of tariff reform to be expected In case of Republican success. If the past can be taken as a guide, the Republican party Will be so obligated by campaign con-

trl buttons fnm the leneficiarlcs of protection, as to make that party" iwerle?s to bring to the country any material relief from the present tariff burdens. Why No Anti-trust Legislation? A few years ago the Republican leaders in the house of representatives' were coerced by public opinion Into the support of an anti-trust law which had tho endorsement of the president, but. the senate refused even to consider the measure, and sLncc that time no effort has been made by the dominant party to secure remedial legislation, upon this subject. Why No Railroad Legislation? For ten years the Interstate Commerce Commission has been asking for an enlargement of its powers, that it might prevent rebates and discriminations, but a Republican senate and a Republican house of representatives were unmoved by its entreaties. In 1000 the Republican national convention was urged to endorse the demand for railway legislation, but its platform was i dient on the subject. Kven In H01 the convention gave no pledge to remedy these abuses. When the president finally asked for legislation he drew Ins inspiration from three Democratic national platforms and he received more cordial support from the Democrats than from the Republicans. The Republicans in the senate deliberately defeated several amendments of-1 f erred by Senator La Follette and sup-, ported 1)3 the Democrats amendments embodying legislation asked by the Interstate Commerce Commission. One of these amendments authorized the ascertainment of the value of railroads. This amendment was not only defeated by the senate, but it was over

whelmingly rejected by the recent Republican national convention, and the Republican candidate has sought to rescue his party from the disastrous results of tili; act by expressing himself, in a qualified way, i:i favor of ascertaining the value of the railroads. Over-icsus cf Stocks and Bonds. Mr. Taft complains of the over-issue of stocks and bonds of railroads, "for the unlawful enriching of directors and for thy purpose of concentrating the control of the railroads under one management," and the complaint Is well founded. Rut, with a president to point out the evil, and a Republican congress to correct it, we find nothing done for the protection of the public. Why? My honorable opponent has, by his confession, relieved me of the necessity of furnishing proof; he admits the condition and he can mt avoid the logical conclusion that must be drawn from the admission. There Is no doubt whatever that a large majority of the voters of the Republican party 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 government, and they are beginning to understand the cause. For a generation tho Republican party has drawn its campaign funds from the beneficiaries of special legislation. Privileges have been pledged and granted in return for money contributed to debauch elections. What can be expected when official authority is turned over to the representatives of those who first furnish the sinews of Avar and then reimburse themselves out of the pockets of the taxpayers? Fasting In Wilderness Necessary. So loug as the Republican party remains in power, it is powerless to regenerate itself. It can not attack wrong-doing in high places without disgracing many of its prominent members, and it, then? fore, uses opiates Instead of the surgeon's knife. Its malefactors construe each Republican victory as an endorsement of their conduct and threaten the party with defeat if they are interfered with. Not until that party passes through a period of fasting in the wilderness, will the Republican leaders learn to study public qm-'tlons from the standpoint

0t the masses. Just as with individuals, "the cares of this world and the decel fulness of rich.es choke the truth," so In politics, when party leaders serve far away from homo and are not In constant contact with the voters, continued party success blinds their eyes to the needs of the people and makes them deaf to the cry of distress. Publicity as to Campaign Contributions. An effort has been made to secure legislation requiring publicity as to campaign contributions and expenditures; but the Republican leaders, even in the face of an indignant public, refused to consent to a law which would compel honesty in elections. When the matter was brought up in the recent Republican national convention, the plank was repudiated by a vote of SH' to 04. Here, too, Mr. Taft has been driven to apologize for his convention and to declare himself In favor of a publicity law; and yet. if you will read what he says upon this subject, you will find that his promise falls far short of the requirements of the situation, lie says:

"If I am elected president, I shall I

urge upon congress, with every hope of success, that a law be passed requiring the filing, in a federal office, of a statement of the contributions received by committees and candidates in elections for members of congress, and in such other elections as are constitutionally within t' control of congress." I shall not embarrass him by asking him upon what lie bases his hope of success: it is certainly not on any encouragement lie has received from Republican leaders. It is sufficient to say that if his hopes wen realized If, in spite of the adverse action of his convention, he should succeed In securing the enactment of the very law which he favors, it would give but partial relief. He has read Mie Democratic platform; not only his language, but his evident alarm, indicates that he has read it carefully. He even had before him tho action of the Democratic national committee in interpreting and applying that platform; and yet, he fails to say that he favors the publication of the contributions before tho election. Of course, it satisfies a natural curiosity to find out how an election has been purchased, even when the knowledge comes too late to be of service, but why should the people be kept In darkness until the election is past? Why should the locking of the door be delayed until the horse is gone? An Election a Public Affair. An election is a pablic affair. The people, exercising the right to select their officials and to decide upon the policies to be pursued, proceed to their several polling places on election day and register their will. What excuse can be given for secrecy as to the Influences at work? If a man, pecuniarily interested in "concentrating the control of the railroads in one management," subscribes a large sum to aid in carrying the election, why should his part in the campaign be concealed until he has put the officials under obligation to him? If a trust magnate contributes $100.000 to elect political friends to office, with a view to preventing hostile legislation, why should that fact bo concealed until his friends are securely seated In their official positions? This is not a new question; it Is a question which has been agitated a question which the Republican leaders fully understand a question which the Republican candidate has studied, and yet he refuses to declare himself In favor of the legislation absolutely necessary, namely., legislation requiring publication before the election. Democratic Party Promises Publicity. How can the people hope to rule, if they are not able to learn until aftei the election what the predatory Inter ests are doing? The Democratic part;, meets the issue honestly and courageously. It says: (continued on next pae:e.)

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