Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-19
HE CAREER OF WM HOWARD TAFT OF OHIO,
REPUBLICAN PARTYS NOMINEE FOR PRESIDENT
Taft, the Peacemaker, Wins
Friendship Of Fiipinos
and Quiets the Rest
less Spirits Of Cuba.

ness. but to direct the construction of the
Panama canal as well.
When Mr.. TAT became Secretary of
War this country had just taken posses
sion of the Canal Zone. under treaty with
the republic of Panama. and Of the old
canal property. including the Panama
railroad. by purchase from the French
company. The work was all to do. The
country expected the dirt to begin to fly
at once. Here was problem largely
similar to that met by Mr.. Taft in the
Philippines. II became his task to con-
vince the Panaman people and govern
ment that the United States had not gone
to the isthmus to build a rival state in
stead OF a canal. AS head of the War
Department. and the superior of the canal
commission. he has conducted all the
affairs OF this government with the re-
public of Panama since the ratification of
in keeping our relations with the isthmus
uniformly pleasant Always. at least
once a year, he has made a trip to the
Canal Zone and examined affairs there
with his own eyes.
Cuban Pacification.
Aside from the Philippines and the
canal the greatest call that has been
made upon Mr.. Taft since he became
Secretary OF War came from Cuba.
This was a case largely similar to the
Philippine problem. When our interven-
ton had freed that island from the
Spanish yoke we deemed 1t sufficient in
surance of successful government for the
Cubans to require them to adopt a con-
stitution before We turned the island over
to them. We ignored the fact that Cuba
had no experience Of constitutions or
understanding OF their functions.
The result was inevitable. The Cubans
having adopted a constitution. they had
not the slightest idea OF what to do with
~ 14l a.
only system Of which they had any
knowledge. The proclamation Of the
president took the place Of the old royal
decree. He created by his fiat the depart
ments OF government which should have
been established by law of congress under
authority Of the constitution. Freedom
in the American sense was unknown in
Cuba. Justice was a mockery because II
was a matter OF purchase, and govern
ment was oppression.
The experiment was aimed toward chaos
and Its expectation was quickly realized
In September. 1905. the United States had
to intervene again. and the task fell on
Mr.: Taft With his experience Of the
Filpinos as guide and the magnetism
of his personality as a lever Mr.. Taft
cured peaceable Intervention. Then he
devised and set up a provisional govern
ment which all the Cubans accepted.
Taft's Character.
The character of Mr.. Taft is the re-
sultant of strongly contrasting forces. He
is a man who laughs and fights. From
his boyhood good nature and good humor
have been the traits which always re-
ceived notice first. But all the time he
has been capable of a splendid wrath,
which now and then has blaxed out. un-
der righteous provocation. to the utter
CONSERVATION and undoing of its object.
Because he is always ready to laugh.
and has a great roar of enjoyment to sig
men who have not observed him closely
have often failed to understand that he
IL just as ready to fight. with energy am
determination. for any cause that has won
his support. But it is almost always some
other mans cause which enlists him. His
battles have been in other interests than
his own. First Of all, he Is an altruist.
and then a fighter.
This combative altruism IL Mr.. Taft's
most distinguishing characteristic. AS
world wide sobriquet of Secretary Of
Peace" He has fought some hard bat
ties. but they were with bloodless weap-
Ons. and the results were victories for
peace. The greater the degree Of altruism
the keener was his zeal. the harder and
more persistent his battle. The greatest
struggle of his career. in which he disre-
garded utterly his settled ambition and
cheerfully faced a continuing and serious
menace to life itself. was on behalf of
the weakest and most helpless object in
whose cause he was ever enligted-the
Filipino people. That was the pufest and
loftiest altruism.
But. although this is the dominant trait
of Mr.. Taft. he is well known for other
qualities. His judicial temperament.
founded upon a deep-seated. compreheps
sive and ever-alert sense of right and
wrong: his courage. proved by repeated
and strenuous tests; his calm. imperturb-
able Judgment. and his all-embracing
sympathy are characteristics that have
been often and widely noted.
Taft as the People Know Him.
The American people know Mr.. Taft as
a man of pervasive good humor. always
ready with a hearty laugh and quick to
see fun In any situation. His other side
has not often appeared, but he Is capable
Of tremendous wrath. Nothing arouses ii
more quickly than unfaithfulness to a
trust or an exhibition Of deceit. Injus
tice in any form stirs him to the bottom
instantly He has a broad. keen. quick.
all-embracins sympathy. always ready to
respond to any call. His sense Of justice
is wonderfully quick-springing and alert.
And he has genuine fondness for work
which enables him to derive real pleasure
from his task. These qualifications are
the endowment of an unusually gifted
lr~o hav