The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-03-06
FRON OTHER PENS
THE PEoPLE rRUsT rAFT.

President Roosevelt believes that Mr..
Taft would carry on his work, and
! wishes his nomination. We see no rea-
son why a president should be forbid
den to take an active interest in the
selection of his successor, SO long as he
does not employ Latin-American meth
DDS of insuring his selection and cleo
ton. The fact that the presidents
choice is for Taft will be a strong in
f1uence in his favor. The people believe
In Roosevelt, and will believe in the
man he believes in. In his speeches
Mr.. Taft has made his position perfect
ly clear and positive. There is no dis
count there. This is of essential i'm
portance. Then two other things may
be neutrality-suspicious. and character.
His character is not simply beyond
flaw, but from the beginning of his stu
dent life he has been noted for his high
sense of honor, his avoidance of any
thing low or questionable. His exper-
fence has been beyond that of any 9TH
er candidate in just those fields of SER
vice which will occupy our next presi-
dent. He is a consummate lawyer, Of
ten spoken of for chief justice of the
supreme court, and has had that long
judicial experience which gives weight
and judgment AS secretary of war he
has conducted in an admirable manner
the development of our colonial possess
sions. He has been colonial secretary
more than secretary of war, and next
to the internal question of control of
corporations the control of our colonies
in by far the most important business
of our national government. We des-
perately need a wise and strong man
like Mr.. Taft to see to 1t that the same
sort Of men who would monopolize our
means of production and traffic do not
exploit our colonial possessions to the
injury and oppression of their fnhab-
itants.-New York Independent.
SOUTH AMERICAN SUSPICION.
Brazil proposes to institute compul-
sorry military service or CONSUMPTION,
and at latest accounts its senate mad
passed a law to that effect which only
awaited PRONUNCIATION by President
Penna Already the Argentines are
much stirred up over the matter, Tor
they regard the big Brazilian republic
with no less suspicion on account OF
it's big navy programme
In Buenos Ayres they talk of Brazil, S
"megalomania," and our namesake in
that city observes: unfortunately Bra
iii seems to be impelled by the Fates to-
ward a course of action and a politlcal
theory that must sooner or later bring
her into conflict with the other nations
of the south. Despite the vast extent
of territory beneath her flag which has
still to be explored, and the stu great
er area awaiting practical development.
her ambition has not yet reached It's
limit
Apropos of the alleged ambitions of
Brazil, we may note. en- PEASANT, the
suggestion of a United States of South
America" to be composed of Bolivia,
Paraguay, Uruguay the Argent1nes and
Chill. combination which. to the
British author of new work on Chill,
docs not seem at all impossible, and,
of course, would be safeguard against
many dangerous possibilities. one OF
those Dangerous possibilities" is the
Brazilian design of territorial aggran-
dizement, and another is protector
ate under the Monroe doctrine Mex
lean Herald.