Daily Kennebec journal., 1908-06-23
SEC. TAFT GIVEN AN
OVATION AT YALE.
Our Next President the Feature oI
Commencement Able Article
On the Presidency Made Public.
TAFT ON PRESIDENCY.

New York, June 22-Secretary Will
liam II. Taft has written the follow
ing article on his conception of the
Presidency for the current issue Of
Golfers Weekly:
"In the four years that | have been
a member of the cabinet. l have be-
come familiar enough with the re-
sponsbilities and burdens of the Pres
idency to know that no man can afford
unduly to seek that great office. Ii he
is attracted by honor and power alone,
without the hope of being useful, he
is unworthy of the honor and unfit for
the use Of the power He must prefer
for the sake of his own peace Of mind
never to be President to being a poor
President. Confident that the platform
on which he stands is for the best in
terests of the nation, he is untrue to
himself and his supporters if he does
not fight valiantly for election after
he accepts the leadership. But of
course, he must draw the line at any
compact which will not leave him free
of promises and of the control of any
function.
'"The Presidents duties, clearly out
lined by the Constitution, have grown
broader in their Interpretation with
the growth of the country. He should
be in the prime of years, health and
vigor. The capacity for hard work is
better equipment than genius in
mastering the ESSENTIALS of all the de-
partments of the government and un-
dergoing the strain of countless inter-
views He should look not only to those
n of h,,t t.,
all branches of private activity for
information and opinion, in order that
he may arrive at the truth when he
IS surrounded by the conflict of inter-
"sts which come to him with the fair
words of the special pleaders.
IN many senses. though the most
sought after he is the loneliest man in
the United States. Elected directly by
the people. their representative head
from them in the sober thought of the
majority, he will get his best counsel.
They. rs a whole, view public affairs
Though Indifference of
with private affairs |
may keep them to addending PRIMARIES
or scanning closely either candidate or
they can center on the |
President as their instrument, the eX-
preston of their wishes He should be
always near the people in thought, and |
as near them in person as his position |
will permit
In common with the people he is hu-
man and he must ask their charity for
his mistakes. When they have ceased |
to believe in his sincerity and upright
ness of purpose, his is a cheerless task.
Orce conscious that he has divined
and is carrying out their real wish,
neither elated by any cphemeral out
burst Of applause nor diverted by any
of censure. he must proceed
unwaver!ngly, always by lawful meth
DDS, to the accomplishment of the pop
ular will.
From Washington he may learn
fortitudc and forethought-
ness Lincoln's life and speeches must
be mis- source of inspiration when he is
and he has to say to
himself Patience and cheer 1t is cas-
er since we had Lincoln than it was
before to be a good President. He set
4 standard
1T remained for Roosevelt to prove
how the people will respond to Il strong
and true leadership when the hour has
,Ome for great reforms. The policies
which he inaugurated must be con-
-inued and developed. They are right
md they are the policies of the people
For that reason his successor may well
disregard any charge of lack of orig
nality ii he does not make an entirely
lcW program of his own.
"A President at this time has work
jcforc him, clearly defined. The en-
orcemcnt of the law, equally against
high and low. the powerful and the
weak, should be his first thought. The
langer to our country from laXity or
avoritism in this is the greatest one
vc have to face. The conservation Of
,ur national resources and their de-
'clopment for the use Of all along the
ines of equal opportunity, too. must
ommand his immediate attention. 1t
Continued on Page Two) !