The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-06-23
THE TICKET.

mentioned for the position the conven- tion undoubtedly selected the best one. MT. Taft is e man of splendid intellect, of wide information and of extensive experience in public affairs. Both by capacity and experience he measures up to Presidential size. and the party is to be congratulated on the choice 1t made.
 The only thing that can fairly be urged against MT. Taft is that the odor of Rooseveltism too thoroughly clings to him. He has been universally re- garded as Rooseveit's heir-apparent. Roosevelt selected him and virtually gave orders that he must be nominated. and the orders were obeyed. It is tie general opinion that he was selected to carry out RoossveIt's policies, to fol- low in Roosevelt's footsteps. and. as many people think. to be guided in his oficial duties by Roosevelt's win. This, we repeat, is the fly in tho ointment, so to speak, and it is the one thing that will handicap Mir. Taft in the campaign. and if the suppositisn Is true, will mar his administration if hs is elected. The country has had enough. and more of than enough, of Ro ,sevelt and his policies" He is unsafe, unre- liable and undesirable in his methods, and in many respects united for the high position he holds. The thought full intelligence of the country wants no more of his bull-in .tha-ehina- shop methods, and will be suspicious of a man who has allowed himself to De re- garded as merely the agent of Theo- dore Roosevelt.
 This is where MT. Taft is handi- capped in the race. and it will be his undoing if he is elected President if he allows the predictions and opinions of observant men to hold good in his onicial position, If he fails in this re- spect 1t will be entirely his own fault. He has in him the making of a good President, beyond a doubt, but he must free himself from the taint of Roose- veltism. if he desires to be a success full executive and retain the respect and confidence of the American people. Tn case of election he must be his own man, not Roosevelt's representative. Tn short. he must himself be President and not q fgure-head to obey the or- ders and follow the instructions of an. otEsr. 1t matters not who that other may be.
 As Democrats we can conssisntioas- ly hope that Taft may be defeated, but as American citizens we hope that in the event of his election he will make the country a good President As partisans we might wish that his administration will be faillr but for the good of the whole country we want to see the once administered in way that will be for the i.onor. credit and best interests of all sections and all the people. And this, as we have intimated. must depend entirely on Mir. Taft himself, if he Is elected. He will have the opportunity to discredit himself and the office, or he can be an honor to the position to which he as- pires. Which he will do is the prob lem for the future to settle.
 In the candidate for Vice, President. Hon. James S. Sherman, 1t is fair to say that the convention did fairly well. His principal nationaI repute comes from his ability to gather up election and campaign funds. It will be recalled that he is the Sherman to whom Roose- welt wrote the celebrated Hartman letter which resulted in Harriman's ex- posing certain transactions with the New York insurance companies, Naver- theless. he is a man of fairly strong intelligence and with considerable ex- has the respect and esteem ot his fel- low men in his own State is evidenced by the fact that he is now serving his ninth term in Congress where he stands wen among his colleagues and fellow Representatives.
 In short, Mir. Taft aad Mfr. Sherman have 1t in them. if elected. to give the country a safe. conservative and satis- factory administration, and it depends almost entirely on them whether they do so. But. for the credit of the of- ice and the good of the country let there be no continuation of Roosevelt ism. And better still. ie. the Demo- crats put out a good ticket. adopt a sound Democratic platform and go be- for the country in the united front and once more install in power ths party of Jefferson. Jackson and Cleveland.