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Story
June 22, 1908
The Guthrie Daily Leader
Guthrie, Logan County, Oklahoma
What is this article about?
William J. Bryan, in the Commoner, lambasts the Republican National Convention in Lincoln, Neb., on June 22 for rejecting LaFollette's reforms endorsed by Roosevelt, including campaign finance publicity, railroad valuation, injunction curbs, income and inheritance taxes, and direct senator elections, calling it a panicked retreat.
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GREAT LEADER DETAILS SHORT-COMINGS OF RE-PUBLICAN CONVENTION
DELEGATES IN TERROR OF LA FOLLETTE IDEAS
Delegates Ran Over Each Other to Avoid Reforms, Though Endorsed By President
(By Associated Press,)
Lincoln, Neb., June 22.—Under the caption, "In Full Retreat," William J. Bryan, in the next issue of the Commoner, will discuss the republican national convention as follows:
The republicans who attended the national convention as spectators said they joined in the demonstration in favor of President Roosevelt and Senator LaFollette must have felt indignant as they watched the panic-stricken delegates running over each other in their effort to get away from the LaFollette reforms, some of which had been endorsed by the president himself.
"Congressman Cooper of Wisconsin, representing the LaFollette men, brought in a minority report signed by himself alone. Fifty-two members of the committee signed the majority report, and one signed the minority report. The republican party will find the ratio of fifty two to one a very embarrassing one to deal with in the coming campaign.
Campaign Contributions.
"Mr. Cooper's report contained a declaration in favor of publicity as to campaign funds, which lost by a vote of 550 to 94, more than nine to one, and yet the president has been advocating legislation in favor of publicity as to campaign contributions and Secretary Taft wrote a letter to Mr. Burrows advocating the passage of a publicity bill.
"Senator Burrows, the man to whom the Taft letter was addressed, was the temporary chairman of the convention, and the convention over which he presided turned down the publicity plank by a vote of nine to one.
Who will deny that, on this subject, the republican party is retreating?
"Another plank of the LaFollette platform authorized the ascertaining of the value of the railroads. This plank was lost by a vote of 917 to 63, nearly fifteen to one, and yet President Roosevelt advocated this very proposition. Here is a retreat on the railroad question.
Injunction Plank.
"In another column reference is made to the Injunction plank. The injunction plank adopted by the republican convention is a retreat from the position taken by the president and from the position taken by Secretary Taft in his speeches, although neither of them went as far as they ought to have gone in their effort to prevent what is known as 'government by injunction.' Here is the third retreat:
"The president has advocated the Income tax as a means of preventing swollen fortunes and of equalizing the burdens of government. The republican platform is silent on the subject. Was the president right in the position he took? If so, then the convention was wrong in not indorsing him. Will the republican voters follow the president in this just demand or will they follow the republican organization in retreating from it?
"The president advocated an inheritance tax, but the republican convention is silent on that subject. Was the president the head of the republican party in advocating this reform, or has the republican party receded from the president's position? Did the president give a false alarm on this question, or has the party sounded a retreat?
"Predatory Wealth."
"In the president's message to congress last spring he presented an indictment against the conspiracy formed among the great lawbreakers to prevent the enforcement of the law and to evade the punishment provided by law. The platform adopted by the republican convention contains no intimation of danger. If there are any conspiracies the convention did not see them; if there are any combinations it had not heard of them; if there are any dangers ahead, it was unconscious of them.
'Was the president mistaken when he issued his defiance, or are the republican managers deceived when they think that an aroused public will calmly contemplate the encroachments of predatory wealth. This is retreat number six.
"The convention by a vote of 866 to 144—more than 7 to 1—voted down the plank in favor of the popular election of United States senators. It is true that the president and Secretary Taft have never advocated the popular election of senators. They seem to take the Hamiltonian rather than the Jeffersonian view.
The most popular reform in the
DELEGATES IN TERROR OF LA FOLLETTE IDEAS
Delegates Ran Over Each Other to Avoid Reforms, Though Endorsed By President
(By Associated Press,)
Lincoln, Neb., June 22.—Under the caption, "In Full Retreat," William J. Bryan, in the next issue of the Commoner, will discuss the republican national convention as follows:
The republicans who attended the national convention as spectators said they joined in the demonstration in favor of President Roosevelt and Senator LaFollette must have felt indignant as they watched the panic-stricken delegates running over each other in their effort to get away from the LaFollette reforms, some of which had been endorsed by the president himself.
"Congressman Cooper of Wisconsin, representing the LaFollette men, brought in a minority report signed by himself alone. Fifty-two members of the committee signed the majority report, and one signed the minority report. The republican party will find the ratio of fifty two to one a very embarrassing one to deal with in the coming campaign.
Campaign Contributions.
"Mr. Cooper's report contained a declaration in favor of publicity as to campaign funds, which lost by a vote of 550 to 94, more than nine to one, and yet the president has been advocating legislation in favor of publicity as to campaign contributions and Secretary Taft wrote a letter to Mr. Burrows advocating the passage of a publicity bill.
"Senator Burrows, the man to whom the Taft letter was addressed, was the temporary chairman of the convention, and the convention over which he presided turned down the publicity plank by a vote of nine to one.
Who will deny that, on this subject, the republican party is retreating?
"Another plank of the LaFollette platform authorized the ascertaining of the value of the railroads. This plank was lost by a vote of 917 to 63, nearly fifteen to one, and yet President Roosevelt advocated this very proposition. Here is a retreat on the railroad question.
Injunction Plank.
"In another column reference is made to the Injunction plank. The injunction plank adopted by the republican convention is a retreat from the position taken by the president and from the position taken by Secretary Taft in his speeches, although neither of them went as far as they ought to have gone in their effort to prevent what is known as 'government by injunction.' Here is the third retreat:
"The president has advocated the Income tax as a means of preventing swollen fortunes and of equalizing the burdens of government. The republican platform is silent on the subject. Was the president right in the position he took? If so, then the convention was wrong in not indorsing him. Will the republican voters follow the president in this just demand or will they follow the republican organization in retreating from it?
"The president advocated an inheritance tax, but the republican convention is silent on that subject. Was the president the head of the republican party in advocating this reform, or has the republican party receded from the president's position? Did the president give a false alarm on this question, or has the party sounded a retreat?
"Predatory Wealth."
"In the president's message to congress last spring he presented an indictment against the conspiracy formed among the great lawbreakers to prevent the enforcement of the law and to evade the punishment provided by law. The platform adopted by the republican convention contains no intimation of danger. If there are any conspiracies the convention did not see them; if there are any combinations it had not heard of them; if there are any dangers ahead, it was unconscious of them.
'Was the president mistaken when he issued his defiance, or are the republican managers deceived when they think that an aroused public will calmly contemplate the encroachments of predatory wealth. This is retreat number six.
"The convention by a vote of 866 to 144—more than 7 to 1—voted down the plank in favor of the popular election of United States senators. It is true that the president and Secretary Taft have never advocated the popular election of senators. They seem to take the Hamiltonian rather than the Jeffersonian view.
The most popular reform in the
What sub-type of article is it?
Historical Event
What themes does it cover?
Deception
Justice
Moral Virtue
What keywords are associated?
Republican Convention
La Follette Reforms
William J Bryan
President Roosevelt
Campaign Publicity
Income Tax
Inheritance Tax
Popular Election Senators
What entities or persons were involved?
William J. Bryan
President Roosevelt
Senator Lafollette
Congressman Cooper
Secretary Taft
Senator Burrows
Where did it happen?
Lincoln, Neb.
Story Details
Key Persons
William J. Bryan
President Roosevelt
Senator Lafollette
Congressman Cooper
Secretary Taft
Senator Burrows
Location
Lincoln, Neb.
Event Date
June 22
Story Details
William J. Bryan criticizes the Republican National Convention for rejecting LaFollette's reform planks, despite endorsements by President Roosevelt, including votes against campaign fund publicity (550-94), railroad valuation (917-63), injunction limits, income tax, inheritance tax, and popular election of senators (866-144), portraying it as a retreat from progressive positions.