Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 September 1908 — BOUTELL ON BRYAN. [ARTICLE]

BOUTELL ON BRYAN.

Is His “Shall the People Rule?” Simply “a Local Issue P” Congressman Henry Sherman Bou tell of Chicago, commenting on Mr. Bryan’s speech in lowm, says: Mr. Bryan’s question, “Shall the people rule?” impllee that somewhere In this country the people do not rule. The only States where the people do not rule are the States that are expected to give overwhelming majorities for the Democratic ticket. Perhaps Mr. Bryan thinks that his question is purely “a local Issue." If he is sincere, I challenge him to make a speech in Vicksburg, Miss., on "Government by the People.” Let him repeat one of his famous anti-imperialist speeches, simply changing three words, substituting “Mississippi” for “Philippines” and “black brothers” for “brown brothers." Let him suggest that we have as chairman of his meeting John Sharp Williams, leader of the Democrats in Congress, and as vice-chairmen the other members of the Congressional delegation from Mississippi. And after he has made his speech In Vicksburg, if he shall have, escaped the rule of the people In that community, I dare Mr. Bryan to repeat his oration on popular government In Charleston, 8. C., with Senator Tillman as chairman Of his meeting. L.r. Bryan’s sentiments have a purely geographical sincerity. His epigrams and startling conundrums are especially designed to meet local demands. Of this natdre are all his views on tariff and taxation; ‘ Mr. Bryan’s proposition that every time; 4 trust is l formed a tariff schedule should be repealed, and every time a trust is dissolved a new duty should be added, is too funny even for comic opera.

If on March 4 next Mr. Bryan should become President, with a Democratic Congress in both houses, and should actually place upon the statute books the financial and economic vagaries delivered by him in his speech of last Friday, it would plunge the nation into bankruptcy and bring on industrial chaos. If he should begin by repealing the duty on sugar to punish the sugar trust, he would upset the national, finances by losing $130,000,000 a year in revenues, and would stir up a revolution in Louisiana, Utah, Colorado and Michigan. Then, if be should repeal the duty on cotton goods, because some hustling manufacturers of New England or the Carollnas were dumping goods In China in rivalry with England and Germany, he would divert other millions from the treasury and invite still further industrial ruin. But, of course, Mr. Bryan would do none of these things, any more than he will Invade the solid South and summon the cohorts of Democracy to the defence of the Constitution with the battle cry “Shall the People Rule?’’ Mr. Bryan simply does not mean what he says. What he utters with Chadbandian unction in the North he repudiates with Pecksnlfflan duplicity in the South.