Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1908-09-14
TAFT HEIR To
ROOSEVELT
POLICIES
PRESIDENT EXPLAINS
WHY HE FAV0RS 0HI0AN
Letter Replies to Byan'S
Claim That He Is Natural
Successor to Roosevelt Ideas
and Policies,

Successor to Roosevelt Ideas
and Policies,
IBy Morning journal Special LEASED Wirel
Oyster Bay, Sept. ia letter writ
ten by the president to Conrad KohrS
of Helena, Mont, an old time friend,
was made public tonight. The COM
munication, it was explained, was call
ed forth by W. ]. Bryans statement
that he was the presidents heir and
national success. The letter follows:
Mr.. Conrad Kohrs, of Helena, Mon
tana is an old time Montana cattle
man and one of the most prominent
citizens of Montana. He and the
president came into close relation
ship more than twenty years ago
when they were both members of the
Montana Stock Growers Association,
the president being at the time the
representative of the Little Missouri
Stock Growers in the association. The
intimacy has been kept up ever since.
Mr.. Kohrs is one of the pioneer citi-
zens of the northern Rocky Mountain
region and one of the men who has
taken leading part in its great deVel-
opment.
Mr.. Kohrs' letter was called forth
by Mr. Bryan's statement that he (Mr.
Bryan) was the presidents heir and
natural successor.
Sycamore HILL oyster Bay N. "
September 8, 1908.
My Dear Mr. Kohrs--T have receiv-
ed your letter about the candidacy
of Mr.. Taft, the man who | feel is in
an especial sense the representative
of all that in which l most believe
in political life.
Every good citizen should desire to
see both prosperity and justice, pros
perity and fair and righteous dealing
as between man and man, obtain per-
manently in this great republic. AS
a people we are justly proud of our
business industry, of our energy and
intelligence in our work; and 1t Is en-
tirely right that we should ask our
selves as to any given course of con-
duct, viii II be proftahle2" But it
Is also no less emphaticaily true that
the bulk of our people, the plain peo-
pie who found in Abraham Lincoln
their especial champion and spokes-
man. regard the question, rs this
morally right?" as even more impor-
tant than the question, 'Is this profit
able?" when applied to any given
course of conduct. Indeed, in the
long run our people are sure to find
that in all dealings, alike in the busi-
ness and the political world, what is
really profitable is that which is NOR
ally right The last few years have
seen a great awakening Of the public
conscience and the growth of a stern
determination to do away with corrup-
tion and unfair dealing, political
economic, social. 1t is urgently nec-
essary that this great reform move
ment should go on. But no reform
movement is healthy if it goes on by
spasms If It is marked by periods OF
frenzied advance. followed, as such pc
riods of frenzied advance must be
followed. by equally violent periods
Of reaction. The revolutionary and
the reactionary really play into one
anothers hands, to the extent that
each by his excesses necessarily tends
10 arouse such disgust, such a fCaline
Of revolt, IN the minds of quiet peo-
pie, as temporarily to restore the
other to power. To permit the direc.
ton of our public affairs to fan al
ternately into the hands of revolu.
tionaries and reactionaries, Of the ex'
treme radicals of unrest and of the
bigoted conservatives who recognize
no wrongs to remedy. would merely
mean that the nation had embarked
on a feverish course of violent oscil
lation which would be fraught witt
great temporary trouble, and woulC
produce no adequate good in the end
The true friend of reform, the true
foe of abuses, is the man who stead
fly perseveres in righting wrongs, II
warning against abuses, but whose
character and training are such tina
he never promises what he canno
perform. that he always a little NOR
than makes good what he does prom
ise. and that. while steadily advanc
ing. he never permits himself to be lee
into foolish excesses which woul'
damage the very cause he champions
In Mr.. Taft we have a man who com
bines all Of these qualities 10 a degre
which no other man In our publ
life since the Civil War has surpassed
To a flaming hatred Of injustice, to
scorn of all that is base and mean, &
hearty sympathy with the opprest
he unltes entire dislnterestedness
courage both moral and physical o
the very highest type and a kindl
generosity of nature which makes hin
feel that all Of his fellow countryme
are In very truth his friends an
brothers, that their interests are his
and that all his great qualities ar
TO be spent with lavish freedom 4
their service. The honest man o
means. the honest and law-abidin
business man. can feel safe In hi
hands because OF the very fact tina
the dishonest man Of great wealth
the man who swindles or robs hi
fellows. would not so much as dar
TO defend his evil doing in Mr. Tart
presence. The honest wage worker
the honest laboring man, the homes
farmer. the honest mechanic or sma
trader. or man Of small means, ca
feel that In a peculiar sense Mr.. Tai
will be his representative because
the very fact that he has the sam