Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1908-08-07
Taft Conservative.


From Des Moines Daily News, Ind. Rep.
William Howard Taft, republican
candidate for president, is a conserva-
tive. No doubt about it after a per-
usal of his acceptance speech of 5000
words delivered at Cincinnati. He
might be called ultra-conservative or
even reactionary, since he is opposed
to the many movements for reform as
advocated by La Toilette and others,
and which were chloroformed:at Chica-
co. He is only luke-warm to the re-
forms which Roosevelt himself asked
for and didn't get. IL am personally
in favor of the election of United
States senators by direct vote of the
people, says Judge Taft, ''but," he
qualities, 81 do not think it a party
issue" And in this vein he disposes
of many of the Roosevelt reform ideas.
Concerning the physical valuation of
railroads, the guaranty of bank depos-
its, the anti-injunction planks, the
publication of campaign contributions,
ETC., Judge Taft follows his platform.
He declares against the anti-injunction
plank as endorsed by the democratic
party and in a judicial way treats it as
he perhaps was wont to treat case
which came before him while sitting
on the bench. 1t is rather the learned
opinion of learned judge in which he
holds that the anti-injunction reforms
as advocated in the Denver platform
are impractical. The taxation of state
and national banks for the protection
of depositors, to use his own language,
is nothing but schems to make the
honest and prudent banker pay for the
dishonesty and imprudence of others. ,"
He condemns the guaranty system now
in force on Oklahoma, notwithstanding
that there has been but one bank fail
ure in the two years existence of that
law, and not penny lost by the de-
depositor.
The railroads will undoubtedly agree
with Judge Taft's declaration relative
to the physical valuation of their prop
erty. Judge Taft says there should be
no snap judgment as to what is fair
return on the amount invested, good
will, risk and rate of interest, and
above all he cautions any action that
might create lack of confdenc and
distrust on the part of the railroads.
Ultra conservative is Judge Taft in his
treatment of the subject.
AS to the publicity of campaign ex-
penses, Judge Taft is non-committal
He briefly suggests that the laws of
New York, in which state the treasur-
er of the republican national committee
resides, absolutely prohibits the ac-
ceptance of campaign contributions
from corporations. Personally Judge
Taft "conservatively'' refrains from
committing himself on this question.
Judge Taft begins his speech in an al
most bitter denunciation of predatory
wealth, but he quickly qualities any
direct assertion by cautionary sugges-
tons for the protection Of business in
terests.
So it is with nearly all of the Roose-
welt reform measures. Judge Taft ap-
proves, but tags his approval with a
qualifying clause in the interest OF
business.
Summed up, Judge Taft's speech is
disappointment. 1t lacks the un-
qualified war declaration of President
Roosevelt. 1t has none of the ''uncon-
ditional surrender" spirit that charac-
terizes most of the presidents public
utterances. 1t is indefinite in that
after eighteen thousand words Judge
Taft is unable to state his position
clearly on matters that concern the
general public-on matters of great
moment to you and to me. 1t lacks
the fire and the vigor; the enthusiasm
and the dash and withal the elements
of fairness and honesty which the
American people have come to lovelano
revere in President Roosevelt.