The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1904-09-01
SECRETARY TAFT
MAKES A SPEECH
Notable Discussion of Personal
issue in the Anti-Roose-
Welt Campaign.
DEFENSE OF PRESIDENT
Ho' d Dangerous, Hair Triooer Man,
oat Careful. Earnest and Thouah..
tu', Declares His Secretary
OF War at Montpelier.

go t4!!S AFTERNOON maze q
u address here. devoting himself
"'eely 10 a discussion of the demo.
I"'ic effort to make the personality OF
LAX president an issue in the cam.
Palsh. The secretary made no apolo.
sleS ior Specific acts the president has
"one' he defended them one by one,
a'l0 leciared the republican party will
'Ns 10 stand on the record they made.
secretary Taft briefly discussed the
recent pension order and the Panama
case defending the president from
charges of usurpati0n of mower and
ABUSE OF the constitution. Taking up
,4e act'oh or Mr.. Roosevelt in appoint
ing the coal strike arbitration board,
he asked:
Would Judge Parker have done the
same thing? | think not, because I
MINK he has shown himself so tlmid In
meeting the issues that we NAV infer
mat he would shelter himself behind
me plea that, as he had no constitu-
uonal power as president to do what
vas done, he did not feel justified in
uolhs 1t as a private citizen"
Secretary Taft spoke briefly along
me same lines in defense of the ad-
nllnistratlon's position in the matter
OF the postoffce frauds. and then took
up the Philippine position. saying:
.hepublicans hope the time may
come when they may be safely granted
Independence and think that it will
come; but the reason why thew are
not IN favor Of promising 1t Is that
such a promise will greatly mislead
the Filipino people ana greatly COM
picata the situation in the Philippine
Islands with respect to the success Of
. The nrEcprt ornyarn,,,l~4 -z~.. ~
orderly continuance. No compromise
can be made with the Filipinos cx-
cept that we will grant them indie
pen!ence when they are fit for COM
plete self government
Secretary Taft briefly reviewed the
lSSueS and history Of the parties
and discussed the platform Of each. In
review Of the administration of Roose-
Welt. to which the greater portion Of the
speech was devoted, the secretary
eulogiZed the president highly, saying:
unable really TO attack the record
or the republican party; unable really
to take any grounds which make a.
comhatable issue with the republicans
on the main questions, the democrats
now seek to attack the president and
to charge him with violations Of the
constitution, with a headstrong dispO-
sltion to rule or ruin, with a tendency
to involve the country in foreign wars.
~ 'N'''S' "a N''N " vi NSt oil uiISdle
ina!l.
In all my experience I never have
met 81 man in authority who has less
pride Of opinion and judgment, In re-
spect to a situation presented to him
for action. thar has Theodore Roose-
welt. l have never met q. ma who wa
so aMenable TO reason, SO anxious to
reach a just conclusion, and so willing
to sacrifice a previously formed opinion
as the present president of the United
states. He weighs every argument
brought before him, and If by reason
of the ltn1pid character of his nature,
which leads him to speak as he thinks,
ne gives instant expression to an opin-
ion which subsequent facts show to be
erroneous, he changes as only a man
can change who Is an earnest seeker
for the truth. With the sincerest de-
sire to do right.
He is not a tyrant. but he is a lead
er, He does believe in the strenuous
life. No man ever sat in the presl-
dental chair more anxious to avoid
war or conflict with foreign nations
than he. His impulsiveness of man
ner and his q~uickness of thought and
speech Co-oXist with q real conserva-
tism of action that makes it as GER
tain as it was under Mckinley that
no policy will be followed needlessly
exposing the interests of the country
to the peril of war. An, but it is
said, wait until he has a free hand,
after election; then you will see him
in his true light 1t is difficult to
answer such a g%ratuitous suggestion.
founded as it must be on the
ton that a man like Roosevelt, whose
candOr and honesty are so patent that
he almost thinks aloud, has bear play
ing a part for three years and is only
waiting for success at an election to
throw off the mask. It is too ridicu-
Ions for discussion.
but now, what specific things is Mr..
Roosevelt accused of? First, it Is
charged that he influences legislation
and transgresses the line which. under
our constitutional system, should exist
between the executive and legislative
branches. That it is unconstitutional
for the president to confer with MEM
bers of the house and senate and seek
20 influence them with respect to leg
~isIation Is a new doctrine in this re-
public. In the first place the constt-
tuition gives him the express power and
right to communicate with congress in
giving his views with respect to legis-
lation. In the second place, he IS made
a co-ordinatipg factor in the legisla-
tive branch of the government, for he
the poWer to veto any act passed
both houses, and It cannot become
q law unles It Is re-passed by Doth
houses by a two-thirds vote in each
house.
Now then, It IS Impossible that In
conversation with members of each
house he nay not repeat a reCommen-
dalton made in his communication to
the house In writing, o. that In view Of
their joint responsibility for legisla-
ton he may not advise with them at
any time and convince them, II he may,
Of the wisdom or unwisdom of pro-
posed legislation. Criticism founded
upon such q proposition IS evidence OF
the weakness OF the position OF our ad-
yersaries.
"Thisb brings me to the criticism Of the
president, that he has departed from
his former high ideals in the matter OF
politics. No charge Is more unfounded
than this. He Is as much in favor Of
clean methods. he is as much opposed
to the spells system. he believes in
honesty and efficiency in the adminis-
tration OF government. and In the en-
forcement of the civil service law. as
completely as he ever did or ever pro-
posed to do. He is doing everything In
his power to maintain his ideals. Were
he TO AXE the course marked out aa
tha proper one in such criticism, and
ostracIze, so far as conference with
him is concerned, the members Of his
party whom the n~ugwu1aps do not ap-
nroye, he would divide his party, tie
his hands, and destroy utterly his
power for usefulness to the country"