The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-06-18

tons or understanding of their func-
tions. So when Cuba had conformed
TO our recruitment we sailed away
from Havana and left her 10 work out
her own salvation unaided and un-
taught.
The result of that folly was inevi-
taele and not long delayed. The Gu
bans having adopted a constitution
they had not the slightest idea of what
to do with it. They proceeded to gov
ern under the only system of which
they had any knowledge. The procla-
nation of the president took the place
of the old royal decree. He created
by his fiat the departments of gov
eminent which should have been es-
tablished by law of congress under
authority of the constitution. Free
dom in the American sense was un-
known in Cuba. Justice was a mock
cry because it was a matter of pur-
chase. and government was oppres-
: sion.
Order Out Of Chaos.
| The experiment was aimed toward
chaos and its expectation was quickly
realized. In September, 1906, the Uni
! ted States had to intervene again and
| the task fell on Mr.. Taft. Fortunate
it was both for the United States and
Cuba that Ii was so. With his exper-
| fence of the Filipinos as a guide and
the magne tism of his personality as
lever Mr.. Taft placated the warning
factions and secured peaceable inter
| I.
provisional government which all
the Cubans accepted.
| 1t was the intention then to main
tain that government only long
enough to give the Cubans a fair cleo
ton at which they might select their
, own government by full and free ex-
preston of their own will. But almost
Immediately the provisional govern
ment discovered the fundamental mis-
take made by the earlier American
administration. 1t found that the Gu
bans had been attempting TO admins
ter a government which never had
been organized and existed only by
virtue of the presidents will. Patient
ly the provisional government set to
work, under the direction of Mr.. Taft,
to provide the organization under the
fundamental law which the Cubans
had never known was the essential of
successful self-government The work
is now nearing completion, and when
next the Americans quit Havana 1t
will be after turning over to the Gu
bans a governmental machine prop
erly established and fully equipped,
whose operation they have been
taught to understand and control.
Thus, to two peoples has Mr.. Taft
been called upon to give instruction in
practical self-government.
The character of Mr. Taft is the re-
sultant of strongly contrasting forces.
He is a man who laughs and fights.
From his boyhood good nature and
good humor have been the traits
which always received notice first
But all the time he has been capable
of a splendid wrath, which now and
then has blazed out, under righteous
provocation, to the utter consterna
ton and undoing of its object. Be
cause he is always ready to laugh, and
has a great roar of enjoyment to sig
nifty his appreciation of the humorous
men who have not observed him close
ly have often failed TO understand
that he is Just as ready to fight, with
energy and determination, for any
cause that has won his support. But
it is almost always some other mans
cause which enlists him. His battles
have been in other interests than his
own. First of all he is an altruist, and
then a fighter.
A Combative AItruist
This combative altruist is Mr.
Taft's most distinguishing character
istic. AS secretary of war he has earn
ed the worldwide sobriquet of Sec
rotary of Peace" He has fought some
hard battles, but they were with blood
less weapons, and the results were
victories for peace. The greater ths
degree of altruism the keener was hi!
zeal, the harder and more persistent
his battle. The greatest struggle o.
his career, in which he disregarded ut
terly his settled ambition, and cheer
fully faced a continuing and seriou:
| menace to life itself, was on behalf o
the weakest and most helpless obiec
in whose cause he was ever enlisted
the Filipino people. That was the
purest and Hottest altruism.
But although this is the dominant
trait of Mr.. Taft, he is we'll known fol
other qualities. His judicial tempera
ment founded upon a deep seated
comprehensive and ever alert sense
of right and wrong: his courage, prov
ed by repeated and strenuous tests
his calm, imperturable judgment, anc
his allembracing sympathy are char
acteristics that have been often anc
widely noted. They are his by righi
of inhe ritance from generations o.
broad minded. upright men and WON
en-. The development of his country
has extended the range of his oppor
tunity and given greater scope TO his
J. activities than was enjoyed by Alphon
so Taft, his father. or Peter Rawsor
!. Taft. his grandfather. but in charac
ter and intellect he is their true de
Lscendant
The American people know Mr. Taft
as man of pervasive good humor. al
ways ready with hearty laugh, and
quick 10 see fun in any situation. His
other side has not often appeared, but
he Is caDahIa of tramau dong wrath