States Presidency.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 19, 17 October 1907, Page 4

States Presidency.

. ——4-r-MR. BRYAN ON MR. TAFT. . Mr. W. J. Bryan, who seeks to lead fch« Democratic forces in the Presidential cam-' paign agaiust Mr. W. H. Taft, Secretary foi ■ War, who wishes to bo the Republican candidate, recently addressed the people of Oklahoma. ' Here are some of his opinions of Mr. Taft:— A POSTPONER. "Hbo promises to acquire the title of tin .'Greatest Postponer.' In a speech made uoi long Bgo at Columbus, Ohio, he amiouncet himselt as in favour of tariff reform, but hi would postpone it until after the election He also made an elaborate argument in favour of the income tax, but ho would postpone it .indefinitely.' He agreed, with the President iu regard to the wisdom of an in-' lioritance tax,, but that, too, ho would postpone until & more convenient, season. He did not seriously object to valuation of rail-' roads,' but he did not declare for. it immediately. Ho is on tho way to the Philip-' pines to tell the iilipinos' that while iie • thinks-they ought to have self-government after a while, he wants it postponed for the present. It is not strange, therefore, that ha should yield to his ruling spirit in the matter of statohood, and should advise tlie ' people of Oklahoma to postpone their constitution. ■ TARIFF REVISION'. "The cotton raised in Oklahoma sells for the same, whether it is made up. into cloth in" the .United States or in Europe, for the foreign trade fixes the prices, and the saina' : may bo said of wheat, the corn,' and the cattle produced by the farmers of . Oklahoma. And yet, whon the farmers attempt to invest their incomes in the things\}vhich they need, they not only find prices 'increased by the protective tariff, but still further increased by the combinations which manufacturers have formed to take advantage) of the tariffs. The farmers of Oklahoma will find littl.o consolation in the fact that while American 'manufacturers sell abroad cheaper than at homo, Republican leaders like Secretary Taft are insisting that no reform shall bo attempted except through the Republican! party ,' and with the consent of tho tariff barons themselves. Secretary Taft did not discuss.' the trust question s he wisely avoided' it, because he favours-taking a backward step on that question.. ;' . , • COLONIAL. POLICY. "Secretary Taft also made a plea in favour | of 'imperialism. Well, the,, people of Okla-' homa have had enough experience with carpet bag government to know' about a. colonial policy. If officers appointed by tho Federal Government are so unsatisfactory, what must ; be the feeling of the Filipinos against officers of another race, sont across the ocoan to administer a government ? lam glad that Secretary Taft has referred to tbc Philippine • question, for his discussion shows that ho believes in a colonial-policy, and that ho disputes tho doctrines set forth in the Declaration of Independence.. While lie, himself, seems disposed' to acquiesce in the suffrage amendments adopted in' tho South,„ho overlooks the fact that the 1 black man-,of the South is treated much bettor: than tho browi: man of the Philippines. The black man of ! the South has the protection of tho Constitutions, state and national, while the Constitu. tion is denied to the Filipino. The black mar of tile South has also the protection of living undor laVs which tho white man makos for himsolf, wliilo the Filipino lives under lawt under which-the white man would: not himself be willing to livo." Intense indignation has been aroused among owners of motor-cars in Austria at the proposal of the Lower Austrian Landtag to impose taxes of £40 a year on motor-cars and £8 a year ou motor-cycles, Suppqrtors 'of tho measute affirm that it does not impose a tax at all, but only makes -owners'or cara and cycles pay an indemnity- for tho dust and nuisance they creato and tho woaring out of > tho roads. .'■ •