The Washington herald., 1908-07-31
POLITICAL COMMENT.


served to make Mr.. Taft. the man. bet |
ter known, and perhaps better under
stood by the people On the whole. II /
may be said that the speech is favorably I
regarded. The Providence Journal says. {
Throughout the speech there is a [
wholesome spirit Of self-restraint that
differentiates IL from most OF Mr. ROose- /
velt's recent addresses. There IS no eX- /
cited talk about corporate malefactors- /
offenders Of great wealth. plutOCratiC I
desperadoes. or the ike; yet there IS no
want Of force or conviction. no def
cheney Of courage or purpose Mr. Taft.
as has been said so many times. has the
judicial temperament. He looks al all
sides Of a question as It is a judges
business 10 do: but he IS far more than a
judge. Since his assumption Of the War
portfolio he has demonstrated executive I
capacity and the ability TO organize and
forward great enterprises He is aeon
structive statesman. not theorist. as
Mr.. Bryan is. II is difficult 10 believe /
that the country viii hesitate in chOos-
ing between them"
The Charleston News and Courier is an
adverse critic Of the speech, though the
length Of it is one Of its chief com
plants. Il says.
M Tafts speech Of acceptance. like
the platform upon which he stands, Is
speech Of statistical inventions and pO-
utical evasion II is inOrdinately long.
and was evidently prepared as a sort Of
political dragnet for the purposes OF the
present campaign and election The bad
trusts VIII not be frightened by 4. and
the good trusts ought TO chip in hand
somely for the Taft campaign fund The
only people. apparently, who cannot exact
some sort OF comfort OF doubt from il
are the white people Of the South Evi-
deutly. Mr.. Taft feels that there IS at
least one more campaign IN the negro
vote"
The Boston Journal terms the speech
the Cincinnati platform" and declares
that Il is broader than the one adopted
in Chicago Il declares
Mr.. Tafts speech may be called the
Cincinnati platform The Chicago plat
form is broader thar any previous Re
publican platform but Il Is not quite
broad enough for the candidate On the
Cincinnati platform he must feel C0ns-d-
erably safer. This platform speaks for
honest tariff revision. for fair play for
the worklngnan and for the negro, for q
solution Of the railroad rate problem or
the ground OF service and mutual inter
ests as well as the proposed physical
pine industries. and for proper Limitation
OF ASiatic immigration. Lr. Tatts ac-
vocacy Of a campaign publicity law IS
in accord with sentiments previously eX-
pressed. and his approval OF the idea OF
the popular election OF United States
Senators VIII be generally welcomed.
though. as ne says. this IS not party
question The speech IS Rooseveltiau in
trend. but not n tone, What i seems 10
-s--rr-fsa ~-na-czz without IRE big
stick"
The 81 Louis Republic IS another
journal which finds much 20 criticise in
AIr. Taft's speech. and declares j. 70 be
q good Democratic document. II says
Pacing the tariff issue. M Taft bows
% the edlct Of 'stazdpattsu,' which even
Roosevelt himself must obey Taft The
tariff ref0-ner. disappears n Tstt. -he
candidate. obedfenr 10 the party mandate
and willing 20 defend even the prO-ibit1-E
duty that protects a trust The measure
Of tariff reform 20 be expected under
his administration would obviously be
that meted out by the tarlC barons them
selves
Read discriminat.ngly for the lesson
l. carries between the lines. the Tafr
speech is a Democratic document In
very large part it IS an ingenious eftort
20 prove that the Republican platform
means what the Democratic platform
saws. The American people must decide
whether they want that party 20 rule
which says wka- i- means or wiL trust
the welfare OF the country 20 q party
which dared not say what 1t P-eteEds
% mean"
The Buffalo Tines thinks the speech
has little or 10 educational value and
that the people VIII nor indOrse IL II de-
Clares-
In q speech Of l2.ooo words Judge Taft
has not contributed q sentence 10 the
education OF the people n political mat
ters. There IS no backbone. no meat. no
strength in his speech From beginning
10 end II is a plain attempt % keep on
both sides ot the great issues which are
20 be fought out IN ne campaign
It is said tnac President Roosevelt
who read the speech before i was print
ed. was satisfied with Il. L IS also said
that the Wall street operators. who were
supplied with printed copies several days
before It's delivery. found no fault with IL
That the people viii not indoTse It we
are coahdenL
The New York Globe iuciines TO believe
that the speech Of acceptance VIII cost
1Ir. Taft some votes II SAYS:
The reascnabIeuess Of the views ex-
pressed by AIr- Taft Is nowhere cues-
toned. but among some OF his supporters
fears are expressed that this quality as
revealed in his speech Of acceptance may
cost h5-1 votes among the radicals in the
West and Ire labor classes AIr. GompeTs
assumes 70 lead. But II has never been
supposed that M Taft would cater TO
unreasonable radicals His appeal is 10
the sober common sense OF the American
people. and he was chosen as candidate
because II was known that this IS the
appeal he would make"
The Boston Record says:
Candidate TafJ-s acceptance lacks
rhetorical pungency OF dramatic effect
But Il carries the solid and reassUring
sense OF matured purpose. backed by
masterful ability and sure foresight It
gives the plans Of q man who loves his
country deeply. and wishes It to advance
steadily. and 10 the benefit Of every one
Of her citizens"
The Waterbury American thinks that II
the speech lacks aggressiveness. It is al
least full Of solid matter, and IL deciarss-
NO one can read Judge Tafrs speech
without being impressed by the fact that
il IS rather a dispassionate review OF the
Issues before the country than an appeal
70 craftsmanship The spirit n which he
approaches great questions cannot but be
welcomed by business interests. East or
West. II there be IN Il q lack Of agg-es-
/ siveness. its arguments are so clearly
put. its conclusions 50 effectively stated,
/ that il cannot fail to convince all who are
not dominated By passion or prejudice"
The eobua5a1orfs Press thinks -ba- .ba