OCR Text |
Show bEYAN IS PROMPT IN FORCIBLE REPLY ! NAPOLEON, O., Oct. 30. William J. Bryan gave out a statement hero today commenting upon tho declaration of John D. Rockefeller, made in New York yesterday, that ho would vote for William Wil-liam Howard Taft. Mr. Bryan said he was not surprised at tho declarations of Mr. Rockeioller, as tho Standard Oil company and tho Republican party have been so closely related that many of thoir interests are identical. Mr. Bryan's statement follows: "The morning papers publish a statement state-ment from Mr. Rockefeller giving his reasons for supporting Mr. Taft. lie says: " 'If for no other reason, I support Mr. Taft because on comparing him per-ronally per-ronally with Mr. Bryan, his chief opponent, oppo-nent, I find the balance of fitness nnd temperament entirely on his sido. The election of Mr. Taft will, I believe, make for law and order and stability or business. He is not a man inclined to rash experiments or to impede a return of prosperit' by advocating measures subversive of industrial progress.' "There are several things about this statement that' deserve attention. Tho first clause says if, for no other reason, rea-son, but there already i8 a roason. He is for Mr. Taft bocauso Mr. Taft is for him. Ho is for Mr. Taft because Mr. Taft is in sympathy with tho trusts. Mr. Taft has been making speeches for many weeks, and he has not yet dwelt upon tho iniquities of tho trusts or pointed out tho injustice done to the American pooplc by thorn. No wonder won-der Mr. Rockefeller is for Mr. Taft. Says That John D. Lies. "Again 'Mr. Rockefeller says Mr. Taft's oloction will make for law and ordor. This is false. Mr. Rockefeller's Rockefel-ler's corporation ib tho most notorious law-breaker in the United States, and ho is for Mr. Taft bocauBO ho" docs not want tho law enforced. If he thought t Mr. Taft would enforco the law against tho Standard Oil company and lavorcd tho enactment of moro stringent laws against tho Standard Oil company, as I do, he would not be for Mr. Taft. Mr. Rockefollor also says that Mr. Taft's election will mako for stability of business. What kind of business? Stability in the trust business busi-ness is what he means. He thinks that Mr. Taft's election will enable thc trusts to get a tighter stranglo gmsp upon tho American people and put their extortion upon a moro permanent foundation. foun-dation. H'cAflays that Mr. Taft is not a man inclined to rash oxperimonts. IIo might havo omitted the word 'rash.' for Mr. Taft is not in favor of any kind of oxperimonts in the way of remedial legislation. Ho does not propose remedies, Ho simply glories in tho past and wants to leave conditions condi-tions as they arc. ThonkB Duo Magnate. "MK Rockefeller says thut Mr. Taft would not advocate measures subversive subver-sive of industrial progress. But what is industrial progress? Is it right to allow ono corporation to swallow up or bankrupt ail of the other corporations corpora-tions and then, hold the country at its mercy 7 Is it industrial progress to de-stro3r de-stro3r competition and close the door of opportunity to tho young mon of tho conntrj'? Is it industrial piogress to destroy industrial independence nnd establish a despotism of monopoly' "The Democrats havo reason to bo grateful to Mr. Rockefeller for tearing tho mask off the Republican campaign and revealing the duplicity that has characterized it. Instead of openly st-tacking st-tacking the size of tho monopoly tho Republican organization has kept up a pretense of reform and Mr. Roosevelt Roose-velt rushed into tho arcno and allowed the charge that the trusts wore opposed op-posed to Mr. Taft stand. T challenged him to name one trust officer that was supporting mo, and, not being able to fiutl an official, he named a St. Louis attorney, who in ono rase represented the picsident of a branch of the Standard Stand-ard Oil company. "Mr. Roosevelt in his eagerness to rolieve tho Republican candidate of tho odium of trust support accepts this as proof that tho Standaid Oil company was supporting mo. Now Mr. Rockefeller, Rocke-feller, head of the Standard Oil company, com-pany, comes out openly in support of Mr. Taft and gives reasons that lay bare the false pretenses upon which the Ropublican campaign has been conducted. con-ducted. Party Should Be Honest. "If the Republican party were honest, hon-est, it would announce that having made arrangements with the trusts for the funds to finance the campaign and having pledged tho Republican party to protect the trusts from punishment,, it would release tho rank and file of the Republican party from tho support of tho Republican ticket. "Tho Republican party cannot serve-two serve-two masters. Its real mastor has now stepped forth and assorted his claim to the party's services. No Republican need bo deceived any longer as to the indissolublo bond that binds tho Republican Re-publican organization to the predatory interests of tho country. It will be noticed that this statement comes out too late to be used by tho woeklv newspapers news-papers circulated among tho mas'sos, but in timo to be used in the business centers cen-ters to influence thoso business men who look to tho big financiors for advice. ad-vice. "Before taking up another question," ques-tion," he said. "I wanz to say that .we have had another favor granted us this morning. Mr. Carnogio has coins out for Mr, Taft. Mr. Carnegie holds ho largest block of stcol bonds of any man in the United Statos. Ho comes out with Mr. Rockefeller. And it was that steel trust that wont to the White house and got permission from tho president to absorb a rival, and the steel trust is today supporting Mr. Taft, as it helped to socuro his nomination." |