The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1908-06-19


by reason of their busy absorption In
varied pursuits and of the glamour
| which attends success In great under
| takings, questionable methods have
| been able to ingraft themselves upon
| the business of the country. Rich re-
wards have too frequently been gained
| by some who are none too scrupulous.
Monopoly, dishonesty and fraud have
assumed prominence which calls for
| the earnest attention and condemna-
ton of every man who truly loves the
republic.
| Against all these abuses and in the
work for restoring old ideals of
honesty and equality as we'll as for
higher standards of civic duty one
man has stood pre-eminent, and that
man is Theodore Roosevelt Against
corruption in every form he has set
his face with grim determination,
prompt and fearless in action and with
that intelligent leadership which has
assured the establishment of better
era in which the strong and the weak
| alike must submit themselves to the
impartial execution of the law. There
was need Of a strong, courageous spirit
to restrain those destructive forces
which have asserted themselves in
this time OF growth and plenty. The
story Of his achievements will make
up one of the brightest pages in his
| tory of this or any age and will prove
that today, as In any critical hour OF
social unrest or of danger, the man
will appear who can grapple with the
emergency.
Who so fit to take up the tasks
which this wondrous generation de-
.mands should be wisely and impartial
" performed as his great war secre-
tary? Since the day when, in Benja-
min Harrison's administration, these
two first met-the one as solicitor gen.
eral, the other as a member of the
civil service commission-they have
been bound together by like ideals
and aims, by close ties of friendship
and by the exchange OF mutual cSun-
sci, each with his own individuality
and characteristics keeping constant
ly in view the enrolling vision of a
better and greater America They
have not been satisfied that the
t5mple of prosperity should be decked
alone by the jewels of the fortunate
and the opulent, but have insisted
that it should still more abound in
trophies which commemorate the en-
foccement of even handed justice and
the maintenance of that equal oppor-
tunity which spreads hope and bless
ing even to the humblest home. Since
the day when, less than thirty years
of age, Mr.. Taft denounced with burn-
ing words a member of his profession
who had been guilty of fagrantly
vicious practices and had demoralized
the community he has ever been asso-
ciated with the cause of true reform
with that reform which will not con-
tent itself with academic dissertation
or hollow words. He has been imbued
with the spirit of action. His advo-
cacy of sounder conditions has neve.
arisen from a desire for the eXploita-
ton of himself. 1t has always been
based upon answering integrity AMI
the courage to speak the truth as he
understands it on all occasions, no
matter how influential or powerful the
evils which he may attack.
No one has ever yet assumed the
presidential chair who had received Il
more ideal preparation for the duties
of that great Office. AS Judge in state
and federal courts, as solicitor ger-
eral, as governor of the Philippines,
as secretary of war, which has IN
cluded the work of colonial secretary
and director Of national public works,
he has received his training and has
always shown himself master of the
situation and competent 70 make more
honorable and beloved the American
name. There have been no years Of
inactivity in his career. He has been
continuously engaged in weightly
tasks, and each successive service has
been characterized by an increasing
influence upon most vital questions.
In our domestic affairs in whatever
position he has held he has displayed
the rare union of judicial tempera'
ment with an unsurpassed gift for adj
ministrative management. To him be-
longs the extremely valuable faculty
of eliminating the nonessential from
complicated problems and going di-
rectly to their substance. His capn'
city for work is enormous, yet quite
as helpful is his equable temperament,
which will not allow the annoyances
of life to distract or hamper him. AL.
though of an aggressive personality,
he possesses an infinite good nature,
charm of manner and poise which
have made him model for exalted
station. In the final ANALYSIS even
the highest officials must be judged
as men, and under this criterion Sec.
rotary Taft Is now and will ever be
known for his broad sympathies with
every grade of humanity and as one
invariably actuated by that democrat.
ic spirit which should characterize a
progressive American. And yet no
one can for moment hesitate to
recognize his severity in dealing with
wrongdong. While no honest enter