The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1908-12-23
might have acted in perfect good

might have acted in perfect good
faith.
Knowing these things, we believe
the President should not have made
such a sweeping denunciation of CO.
ordinate branch of the government.
1t is our experience. however.
that impulsive and impetuous as the
President has always been. he is
more apt to be right than otherwise,
and that he never goes after big
game without plentiful supply of
ammunition. We have not particle
of doubt but that the President has
some ground for his accusation and
that be will make somebody know
that they have been up against the
business end of buzz-saw. Should
the President be able to sustain his
charges against Mr.. Tawney or doz-
en- members of the Congress it would
not Justify his wholesale attack.
If President Roosevelt has the proof to
justify his message he could have
used it to much better advantage in
forcing the quiet retirement of the in
dividual members than he has in
shaming the Congress of the United
States as whole.
The lamentaple feature of the
whole affair is that it weakens the
chances for the great reforms for
which the President stands and in
which he has back of him the great
bulk of the American people.
"Whcn the Gods would destroy
they first make mad" The reaction
lists have remembered this. and they
have in great measure succeeded.
The result for the next few months
can only be highly demoralizing, not
only to the government but to the
people.
For our own part we are the Presi-
dents loyal friend. We have been
absolutely steadfast and we believe
today that he is by far the strongest
and most sturdily upright man we
have in public life.
The reactionists are gaining rapid
ly. however, by the Presidents indis-
cretions, and there are many of US
who view this tendency with alarm.
The announcement that Senator
Knox is to be Secretary of State in
Taft's cabinet. recalls that Mr.. Knox
was one of those who entered the
anything to beat Taft combine
just year ago. Cannon. Knox,
Fairbanks and Foraker were the
avowed candidates in this combination
and their chief objection to Taft was
that he was friend and disciple of
Roosevelt. If. therefore. Knox is
to be the premier, and the chief adj
visor of the" new administration
either Mr.. Taft or Mr.. Knox must
have changed his attitude. 1t did
not hurt Mr.. Taft during the cam
paign to be known as Roosevelt
choice. IL is fact that Bryan coulG
have beaten any republican candidate
who might have secured republican.
nomination as an Roosevelt can.
didate.
1t will be we'll for Washington tt
bear this in mind. There is Away:
tendency to listen to the voice OF
The people trife more attentivel,
before an election than after an cleo
ton. But in this instance the feel
ing is too deep to be disregardee
without grave risk.
Roosevelt, might retire as discred
, tied and as mortified in spirit as hi
choicest enemy might wish. but tn,
great reforms will always be known a!
the Roosevelt reforms. and these arc
the reforms the people expect Mr.
Taft to do his utmost to achieve
There must be no let up in the higf
ideals of public service. There must
be continuation of the determine
tion to control interstate commerc.
and monopolistic corporations. There
must be an honest revision of the
tariff, and there must be posta
savings bank and fair fulfillment OF
the platform pledges of the republ
can party.
Ii Mr.. Taft has induced Mr.. Knox
into his way of thinking all the bet
ter. hut if the Knox premiership
spells triumph for reaction it may
also spell defeat in future battles.