Omaha daily bee., 1908-07-15
MR., CLAYTON AIDS Mr.. TAFT.

When the democrats recover from
the shock occasioned by the speech of
Congressman Henry D. Clayton of Ala
bama, as permanent chairman of the
Denver convention, doubtless their
first action will be to take steps to see
that the speech is not included in the
campaign literature to be used by the
party in the impending contest. I'm
Willingly, of course, Mr.. Clayton paid
Mr.. Taft a great tribute and did much
to destroy the efforts of democratic
orators and organs who have been try
ing desperately to prove that Mr.. Taft
is not in full sympathy with President
Roosevelt and the reform policies of
the present administration, but is, in
reality, in the hands of the reaction
aries.
AS a member of congress Mr.. Clay
ton knows better. He knows Mr.. Taft
asa man and as an official of the gov
eminent, and he evidently spoke from
conviction when he said in his ad-
dress:
In this quadrennial contest Mr.. Roose-
welt has identified himself with Mr.. Taft.
Mr.. Taft has Identified himself with Mr..
Roosevelt. The republican party has in
separately identified the two together. To
praise one you must praise the other; to
c~riticise one is to ~criticise his pursuing
shadow. And so, l must say, If 1t should
appear to anyone that in noting and de-
nouncing abuses and failures on the part
Of the present administration any license
is assumed, l urge the impossibility of
separating the present occupant of the
White House from his own anointed one.
The president stands sponsor for Mr..
Taft. He desires that the laboring man;
that those who would have the govern
ment effectively regulate the railroads;
that those who would revise and reduce
the tariff and destroy the trusts-these
should believe that Mr.. Taft is not a re-
dictionary, but a militant reformer, satu-
rated with his ideas and that he will carry
out my policies"
Democrats who listened to Mr.. Clay
tons address-and there were a dozen
thousand or more Of them-sat in
stunned silence as he proceeded to de-
stroy the strongest argument made by
other democrats that Mr.. Taft could
not be depended on to continue the
presidents policies, that he was a diff
ferent person and would be a different
president, more likely to be Influenced
by the illegal interest against which
President Roosevelt has waged deter
mined and relentless warfare. Mr..
Clayton destroyed all that argument
by dealing at length upon the essen
tial identity Of Roosevelt and Taft in
carrying forward republican principles,
in supporting the Roosevelt policies
for which thousands OF democrats
recorded their votes in 1904. He has
assured the thinking democrats of the
country, particularly those who fol-
lowed Mr.. Roosevelt in his campaign
for regulation of railroads, the sup
preston of illegal combinations In re-
~straint of trade, the enlargement OF
the powers of the Interstate Commerce
commission and the amendment of the
Sherman law that to all intents and
purposes President Roosevelt and Mr.,
Taft are to be regarded together.
Whatever the democrats may think
of Mr.. Clayton's address, the republi-
cans should be grateful to him fol-
frankly and t%ruthfully assuring his
democratic colleagues that Mr.. Taft
when elected, will continue the policies
which President Roosevelt has urged
: and forwarded to the betterment of the
whole people.