The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-08-02

their cost has been exaggerated: that
the total expenditures between 1898
and 1902 were less than S175. 600 600
and that the annual burden on the
United States since that time does not
exceed $4,000 600. He does not be
lieve the islands will be ready for
complete self-gOvernment am indepen-
dence before two generations have
rssed, but the policy of constantly
increasing their measure of seIf-gov.
eminent should be continued. To
postpone Philippine independence for
two generations is to postpone il tor
ever so far as Mr.. Taft is convened.
Two generations mean at least six
ty-hve years and Mr.. Taft can hardly
pretend TO control the policy OF the
Government sixty-five years hence.
Mr. Taft'S position cannot be accent
ed as satisfactory by any earnest OBJ
ponent of Asiatic cOIOnozatiOn and inn
DeTiaIism.
II there IS one word in Mr.. Taft's|
speech advocating economy and re-
trenchment We are unable to find If. |
On the contrary, he justifics all the
Wanton waste of the Roosevelt Adj
mlnIStTatlOn on the ground that the
Democrats in Congress voted for the
appropriation bills. MilitariSm. lin
goism and Imperialism in a prOIific|
mother of eXtrava gance and profigacy|
in government. The country has gone
crazy under RoOseveIt's persistent ap-
peals to the war sentiment. and Is
paying for it in a burden of taxation
unprecedented in time OF peace. Yet
nowhere does Mr.. Taft show the faint
est trace of statesmanlike appreciation
of the tremendous importance of this
issue of Retrenchment and Reform
Decidedly the weakest part Of Mr.
Tafts speech is that which is devoted
TO inordinate laudation Of Theodore
Roosevelt That Mr.. Taft should feel
grateful to Mr. Roosevelt is only natu-
raj; that he should be loyal is praise
worthy; but why this Qualification? q
Why this exaltation2 Why this semi-de-
ificatiOn? Mr.. Taft pictures Mr.. Roose-
welt as a sort of Messiah raised up to
reform the American Government. to-
purify business and to elevate the
moral tone of a wicked and goddess
people. He talks about the moral
standards set by President Roosevelt"
as if they were supplementary to the
Ten Commandments.
It is not Seemly that William How
ard Taft should thus PROSTATE himself
before Theodore Roosevelt. He is sure
~ Mr. Roosevelt's mental equal We
believe he is Mr.. ROosevelt'5 moral
superior As the candidate of great
party for President ne should stand
alone. He should not be content toI
stand in the reflected radiance of
Oyster Bay.
Mr. Taft's speech viii undoubtedly
strengthen him with the very large
business elements of the country Wei
do not mean merely the trusts. cOTpo-I
TatiOns and Wall street, but with the
great mass of business men who
have no part in stOck-iObbing and
speculation. On the other hand. there
are things in the speech which ara
sure to hurt him with large bodies of
the voters We refer particularly TO
his ful5Ome eulOgy Of Roosevelt, his
obvious evasion on the income tax. his
hedging on the Philippines. his dis,
hsartening apology for unprecedented
Republican extravaganza, his failure
to pTOpitiate the negroes. his strange
surrender on the tariff and his fat
refusal to make extreme concessions
to the labor unions
However excellent Mr.. Taft'S ut
teTances are in tone. however. admira-i
bly, he has discussed many of the Is
sues, however strong the contrast be-
tween his judicial style and Mr. ROOse-I
velt's cowboy style his speech Ieavesl
the one great problem of the campaign
still Unsolved. In the minds of inteIIi-I
gent. thoughtful voters everywhere
lies this grave question Of the Re-
publican candidates personal and
political dependence upon Roosevelt
WILL TAFT BE A PRESIDENT OR
A PROXY?