The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1906-07-27
Mr.. TAFT AND HIS ENEMIES,

Fifteen years ago Gen. Bragg, OF
Wisconsin, the commander OF the IA
nous Iron Brigade in the Civil war,
coined phrase that promises to live
forever in American politics, says the
Louisville, Ky, Evening Post. Speak
ing of Mr. Cleveland, Gen. Bragg said:
THE people love him for The enemies
he has made.
Each succeeding year proves that
there are men in political life to whom
this saying applies. In private life it
is often possible for q man Of even
strong qualities to avoid making pro-
nounced enemies. In public life this is
impossible if man wishes to do his
duty About the seat of city govern
ment in every municipality, about the
capitol of every State. and in greater
numbers at Washington there always
hovcrs set of mon whom every cX-
ecutive officer IN doing his duty must
antagonizc. If he srTrenders to cor
morants of this kind he forfeits his
right to be considered an efficient public
servant; if he refuses to yield to them
he earns their everlasting i'll will; but
it is just and proper that the people
should recognise that when an executive
officer has secured the i'll will Of certain
men it follows, necessarily, that it has
been because he has been true TO the
people.
Just now Judge Taft, above all men
in this country, deserves this honorable
position. Judge Taft is naturally ami
able and attractive, and nearly every
gentleman that meets him is pleased
with him. However Judge Taft has
made a number of bitter and unrclcnt-
ing enemies. How has he made them?
Because ne has been true to the inter
ests of the people and has never yielded
an inch to political pressure when he
thought the pressure was cXerted by
bad men.
No one today knows whether or not
Judge Taft will be Il candidate for
President in 1908. Everyone who knows
him realizes that he would prefer to sit
upon the bench of the Supreme Court,
and place upon that court is ready for
him. If Judge Taft declines the place
as Supreme Court Justice, it will be be-
cause he sees that it is his duty to re
main in active political life.
NaxyA,.f ba1 9 -
discredited politicians are already pre-
pairing to attack Judge Taft in every
o way that they can. If he will get out
of their way by accepting the appoint
ment on the Supreme Bench, they will
cease in a moment, but they fear that
he will not do SO, and, if ne does not go
on the Supreme Bench he will almost
certainly loom up as the strongest Re
publican candidate for the Republican
nomination for President in 1908.
We notice, for instance, that the Re
publican organization in the State of
Pennsylvania expresses no preference
for Presidential candidate, but COM
mits itself against Judge Taft. Of
course. What else was to be expected?
Does anyone believe that politicians
raised in the school of the late Matthew
S. Quay would see anything to please
them in man Of the sturdy qualities
of William II. Taft?
In New York the same thing is to be
seen. A supporter of Senator Platt is
quoted as saying that 'Judge Taft will
not do. This is good news. Judge
Taft is very strong before the people
of this country, but if Senator Platt
favored him there might be some doubt.
Now that it is plain that Mr. Platt OPP
poses him, every opponent of bosssm
can feel easy.
The opposition to Judge Taft is not
able chiefly because of its weakness.
In almost every instance he will gain
votes because of the men who oppose