Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1908-04-22
ROOSEVELT VERSUS TAFT.
Taft is Like Roosevelt i'm Ideals and
Mckinley i'm Harmonizing.
(Wall Street Journal.)

The best account Of Secretary
Taft that has yet appeared in print
is that written by DR.. Lyman Abbott
An the last number Of the Outlook.
1t is, OF course, an appreciation Of
Taft and Is highly euloy!stic, Never
theless, 1t gives well drawn, well.
shaded pen picture of the next Re.
publican candidate for President. d..
Abbott says that:
"a "Comparing him with other Presi-
dental candidates, he appears to nj.
to be as Independent as Mr.. Hughes
.anc to have had larger experiences:
possibly not so good a lawyer as MIR.
Knox, but a better Judge; as human
AS Mr.. Cannon, and possessing ideals
which Mr.. Cannon disavows possess
ing; as courteous as Mr.. Fairbanks,
with power of action, and at times
of splendid wrath, OF which Mr.. Fair
banks has shown no sign; as truly
radical as Mr.. La Toilette, but, un-
like Mr.. La Toilette, equally deter
mined to defend them whether the
assailant Is democracy or plutocracy.
To define him in a sentence--Mr.
Taft Is great brain and a great
heart in a great body"
DR.. Abbott's most interesting
statement is a quotation from Presi-
dent Roosevelt. Dr.. Abbott had been
talking with the President about Taft
and the President said:
n1D
that can't get along with. We were
together in Harrison's administra-
tion. l was Civil Service Commits
sioner; Taft was Solicitor General. |
got on Harrison's nerves and when
ever | came into the room he set his
fingers drumming on the desk before
MIN as though it were a piano. But
Taft had no difficulty. And yet he
was always a man Of highest ideals.
So Roosevelt got on Harrison's
nerves, and whenever he came into
the room where Harrison was he af-
Iected him SO much that Harrison
sought relief by drumming on his
desk with his fingers as man will
when under extreme nervous tension.
Roosevelt got or Harrison's nerves,
not because he was a man Of the
highest ideals, for Harrison was
man Of ideals himself. He got Oh
IarriSon's nerves because of his own
nervous tensity. President Harrison
himself later described the way that
Roosevelt affected him by saving that
Roosevelt vas always wanting to re-
form everything between sunrise and
sunset; and Harrison, with his legal
and practical mind, wanted to do one
thing at time and in orderly fash
ion
Now, may it not be said that ores-
ident Roosevelt has "got on the
nerves Of the business men Of the
country, not because of his high
ideals and great policies Of reform,
but because his mind has moved
with greater intensity and rapidity
than The average business mind of
the American people? He has sought
TO do too much at one time; and his
methods and language have set the
fingers of credit drumming on the
G'rsk Of business.
Now, it will be noticed that Roose-
welt says that Taft. while always a
man of the highest ideals, had no
difhculty in getting along with Har
rison. He did not get on Harrison's
nerves, and, significantly enough
Fats presence il, various grave
emergencies oC The country in the
past eight years has never resulted
IN increased nervousness or ny,.ite~
mont. He is like Roosevelt in Heals
and aims, bnt like Mckinley in al H.
aty to promote harmony and good
VIII. Roosevelt has been a splendid
pioncer. He has cleared the ground
on which Taft may build.