The morning journal-courier., 1908-09-15
ROOSEVELT AND TAFT.

No one has for moment doubted that before the campaign had proceed ed much farther President Roosevelt would meet in a characteristic manner the question of Judge Taft's fitness for the presidency. It has been confidently stated by those who know him we'll that 1t is not in his nature to sit idly by and let his personal views become misunderstood for the want of a con venient letter or interview. Since he has now done so 1t is we'll that he has done the trick in his best possible man. ner. as he did in the case of Governor Hughes, whose renomination he con siders essential to success In New York state.
 Mir. Bryan ran a great risk when he undertook to present Himself to the voters of the country as the legal claimant to the Roosevelt policies. He had, however this much to justify the claim that he had advocated on the stump and in his paper many of the policies which have come to he asso- ciated with the administration at Washington during the past four years. But at the same time he had at thls period In the struggle to warn him the we'll known and understood contempt of Mir. Roosevelt for conventional methods of political procedure when great issues are at stake. It Is the Roosevelt way to meet charges and in- situations and inuendoes with retort direct, regardless of what another might see fit to do under like circum- stances. This has been his reasoning in this case. He has refused to be bound by what another might do and he has put aside what to him Is false modesty in order to bring directly home to the voters of the country, as only he can do, the real issues at point, and the man who in his Judgment Is the better of all avilable men to carry them to fruition.
 It is a telling point that President Roosevelt makes when he declares that Mir. Taft Is the possessor of the policies under discussion because he has been full partner in the creation, evolution and enforcement of them. No matter what Mir. Bryan and thou sand other men may have thought were good things to do to improve govern ment and elevate commercial stand ards, 1t was MT. Taft who stood brave ly by the side of the president while they were being licked into shape Un- der prevailing conditions 1t is Mir Roosevelt's opinion that the credit be- longs to the doer of things and not tc the dreamer of things, no matter how well and sympathetically the dreame,
 
 dreams. Necessarily MT Taft has been a part and a substantial part of the Roosevelt policies just as Secretary Root has been, and in the consfdera- ton now being given the possessor. ship of them. the award must be giver to MT. Taft, who of the three men has undertaken to carry on work which is generally conceded by thoughtful men to be absolutely right in it's pur- pose whether the methods which have thus far been used have been of the best texture or not.
 But by far the most interesting ant convincing part of President Roose. velt's letter to his friend In Montans is the understanding 1t shows of Wil. liam Howard Tafts character, the manner in which his intellectuals worl and the spirit in which he goes at the study of public questions. While ClulI1IllR 2II. LdlL us d COIslSlenL WOrk CT by his side in all that he has un. dertaken to do President Roosevelt ir so many words assures the voters O the country that if they elect MT, Taf as their president, they will select th' best possible instrument at hand fo the doing of the work that must b. done to revive prosperity and scattel apprehension. 'The honest man 0 means" we are told, "the honest ant abiding business man can feel saf In his hands because of the very fac that the dishonest man of great wealth the man who swindles or robs his fel .ows, would not so much as dare to de lend his doing in Mir. Taft's pres snce." It is true that MT. Taft need