The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-06-19

straightforward, honorable to friend
and foe
1.-THE BIGGEST GOING CONCERN
IN THE COUNTRY
1t has become axlomatie at Washing
ton that whenever trouble occurs any
where in the world beyond the power
of the ordinary agencies to deal with,
/ raft IS the man who must be sent to
straighten it out Not only did he
bring order out of chaos in the Philip
pines, but he averted civil war and an
! archy in Cuba, settled the difficult
| problem of the friars lands by Il visit
TO the Vatican, started the vast activity
at Panama in effective fashion, and
then went back again to adjust a
threatened struggle between two jar
ring States. Though the Secretary of
Peace, he carried on the War Depart
ment with strong grip upon its de-
talls. helped reorganiZe the army and
| create general staff, and incidentally
| found time to make a tour of the world
and to travel all over the country as a
| fast-rising favorite for the Presidency.
! 1t is not surprising. in view of his
| achievements, his record as a eetter of
| results, as doer, that President
| is the biggest going concern in the
country He keeps going all the time.
| He works from eight in the morning
till midnight He not only works hard,
but plays hard, laughs hard. sleeps
| hard, eats hard, and sometimes hits
hard when reused, as Bowen and Stew
ems would be willing to certify If he
keeps going with luck this giant of
boy will reach the post for which des-
i tiny has been training him through
these busy years.
The Presidency is without much
doubt just what President Roosevelt
has called it, "the hardest Job ON
earth, To achieve success in it much
! more than intellectual equipment is re-
CURED. Indeed, it may be doubted if
a genius of the first rank could, under
present conditions, make a success of
it at all. Given fairly strong mind
and will, which pertain without ques-
ton to any man who reaches the White
House, beyond that success or failure
is largely a matter of temperament.
Chief of the temperamental qualities
is tact, patience, good humor-in the
last analysis the ability to work well
and smoothly with men. to avoid fric-
ton. to attract loyalty, to get the best
possible out of subordinates and out of
the coordinate branch. the Congress.
The Presidency is now so big post. it's
duties are so complex, they ramify so
extensively and intimately to all the
activities of the Government and of the
people, that the human nature side of
the occupant of the high chair is of far
greater inheritance than the intellectual
side. President Mckinley was a good
example: Not intellectually great. but
we'll Unbalanced, a good judge of men,
wonderfully clever in extracting from
men the best they had, whether of
thought or work, he became known as
an adroit, smooth eminently success
full managing director of the govern
ment. Mr.. Roosevelt, more intellectual
and original. more courageous, more the
reformer. with a broader grasp of
things and a far greater desire to init
ate and complete, a leader, not an OPP
portunist. gets on fairly well with men,
too-most men.
NOT ONLY THOROUGH TRAINING,
BUT A PERFECT TEMPERAMENT.
Not only has Taft had the training
that fits him to be PRESIDENT; he has
the temperament. 1t would be difficult
to imagine temperament better adapt
ed than his to this difficult task. He is
a happy halfway between Mckinley
and Roosevelt, with most of the
strength and few of the weaknesses of
both. He has the training of the law
yer, of the judge, Of the adminbtra-
tor, of the diplomat. He knows the
American people. he knows the govern
ment. he knows the affairs Of the world.
He has an almost unprecedented power
of handling affairs and men. Serenity
abides with him, and patience. and JUS
tice, and strength, and irmness. He
may never fire the hearts of the people
as Roosevelt has; he may never be look
ed upon by all as a paragon of unpic-
turesque goodness, as was Mckinley.
But if Taft becomes President he viii
get results. He will be master with
out carrying a whip. He viii always
strive, as we see he has always striven,
to use infinite pains to get at all the
facts, TO clarity them, to form slow but
sure judgments, and then to stand by
them. At the White House if Taft
presides there, will be a great calm,
great patience of listening and inves-
tigation. great energy of work, great
good humor, great peace.