New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-11-04
THE NATIONAL VICTORY.

The country has voted emphaticaily to con-
tinue the policies of the Roosevelt adminlstra-
ton and 10 continue them under the leadership
of the man whom it considers President heose
yeltS logical successor. The question OF heir
ship has been definitely settled ana MI bryan
fantastic claim that he not Mr.. Taft was the
legitimate egatee goes glinmering WIN 'hose
many other false alarms with which De mas
walked the echoes since he began MS Varie
gated career as an impresSonist ana oppoFtu-
mist poItician. The decisive character of Mr..
Taft's victory shows that the American puDnc
is not TO be captured by specious pretenses ana
hollow promises and that it will not surrender
the substance of orderly, progressive ana re-
sponsible administration for the shadoW OF
hasty drastic and impracticabe reforms. Ihefe
can be no doubt in view of the country ; yer
diet that Il great majority of the voters Ihof-
ougEly approve the policies which the hepup-
lican party has been putting into practice III the
last four years and that they recognize III MI.
Taft an ideal instrument for the further de
velopment of those policies In elecuhG MN
President the nation indicates its purpose not 10
rest until the abuses which the Republican
marty attacked are rooted out of our political,
commercial and industrial life, and undemo-
cratic inequality and favoritism have perma-
nentlv given place to the square deal.
Mr. Taft'S election was due to the measures
and ideas for which he stood and TO the al
mirable demonstration which he gave through
out the campaign of poise, simplicity ana can
dor He made a marked success as a cam
naicner because he had nothing TO conceal ana
spoke out of a clear conscience and with apSo
lutte conviction. He was the same man East
West North and South, while his opponent
tried TO temper his principles to his latltuue anu
longitude and be all things to all sections IN
II. -+rl lin of
ing Mr. Taft developed unexpected capacity
as = vote cetter and won the confidence OF
thousands who had never met him face 10 face
and NAV have been prejudced against nm Dy
malicious misrepresentation. He could do TINS
because in all his utterances he was uahSpdI-
emily sincere. honest and straightforward
Mr. Bryan's failure as a campaigner was OBJ
vious a month sgo. 1t was not so much that ne
had lost his skill as an orator or pleader'
Bft he had lost his compass and could no longer
conduct an aggressive and impassioned canvass
He vacilated and shifted. when he should nave
taken single definite line of attack. His in
sincere bargain with Mr. Gompers for the union
labor vote was a milestone about his neck; Tor
he could neither admit that he had granted Mr.
GomDers's demands in the evusive Denver plat
form nor deny that he had granted them. lie
thus drove from his support thousands OF voters
who had formerly considered him, II possibly Il
visionary, at least a consistent and courageous
radical Mr. Bryan did not read the lesson OF
the campaign of 1904. He tried 10 narrow ms
views and reduce himself 10 the Parker stature
hoping thereby to placate the Democratic poll
ticians of the East and South. He did not seem
to realize that by Parkerzing himself he simply
invited another 1904 disaster.
Mr. Taft comes into office with great popu-
lar ma iority behind him. He will be supported
bv a House of Representatives Republican by a
majority a little under hundred and Senate
two-thirds Republican. There will he no oo-
stacle to his carrying out the pledges OF con
ctructive legislation given both in his speeches
| and in the Republican platform. His equip
ment for discharging the duties of the Presi-
dency is superb and his political aims are high
He will have an opportunity TO impress himself
on history such as has been offered TO few or
his predecessors. He will live up to the posi-
hiIfties Of his station and the magnitude OF his
I Il