River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1908-10-01
BRISTOW ON TAFT.
Leader in Kansas Campaign Details
Judge Taft's Great Achievements.

Leader in Kansas Campaign Details
Judge Taft's Great Achievements.
(From Joseph L. Bristow's Speech at
independence, Kan.)
"The greatest issue in this campaign,
however, is the personality of the two
men and the effect that would follow
the election Of either. Mr.. Taft, as
has been so aptly said by Mr.. Hughes
of New York, is the best equipped man
that has ever been nominated for the
presidency, and this declaration has
been enlarged upon by the great Dem.
ocratic leader in New York, Bourke
Cochran, who says that he is the best
equipped man ever offered for the pres
idency of any republic. Mr.. Taft was
a great judge. He has profound legal
learning; his opinions while on the
bench were pointed to as models of
judicial literature and sound reasoning.
When Mckinley sought a man to take
the government of the Philippines, an
archipelago of 1,400 islands inhabited
by races speaking 100 different Ian
guages and dialects, people represent
ing almost every stage of civilization
from the savage to the enlightened, he
selected Mr.. Taft as the best equipped
of any man he could find, and, resign
ing the high judicial position he held,
Mr.. Taft went to the Philippines and
his administration of the affairs of that
dependency is pointed to by the politi-
cal writer's and economists as the model
of colonial government of all time.
Nothing like 1t has ever been presented
in the history of the race.
Taft in the Philippines.
"When called by President Roosevelt
from the Philippines to take charge of
larger and wider responsibilities, the
people Of these islands were so devoted
to him. because of the kindness of his
character and the justice of his govern
ment. that they erected to him mag
nificent statue to stand in Manila, the
capital Of the archipelago, to commem-
crate their gratitude in the centuries
that are to come. When he came back
to this country to assume the reSpOn-
sibility of Secretary of War, the con-
struction of the Panama canal was
placed in his charge. This is the great
est engineering achievement that the
world has ever undertaken, and after
more than three years of the admins
tration of this great work the results
have been almost miraculous. Three
million cubic yards of dirt and granite
are being excavated monthly and trans
ported to the dumping places, from FIVE
to ten miles from the place of excava-
ton. In this tropical climate, where
disease has been the deadly enemy of
every enterprise undertaken heretofore.
where the construction of the railroad
fifty-one miles long across the isthmus
has cost a human life for every tie
that was laid, we find to-day the health
of the men employed there as perfect
as If they were employed in Montgom-
ery county, Kansas. Yellow fever.
three years ago when l visited the 18TH
mus, was threatening the men who
were on the isthmus. This direful dis
ease has been conquered and not case
has appeared for two and one-haIf
wears. The entire force engaged in this
stupendous enterprise is so perfectly
organized and works with such me-
chanical precision that there is not a
lar and not a suspicion of scandal. 1t
is the most marvellous exhibition of adj
ministrative skill and judgment that
has ever. been given to the world"