The Boise citizen. (Boise, Idaho) 1906-1910, 1909-12-17
WESTERN view OF TAFT

ofh
opinion away from Roosevelts chosen the article is Of
intense interest,":
dent Taft his country trip informs the readers prom
ent weekly publication alude to Samuel c. Blythe and the Snr
day Evening Postat the Western country personally friendly
and well disposed toward the President has suspended judgement
his administration and hoping against hope will prove
satisfactory Mr. Blythe admits that grave questions have arisen
70 Mr. Tafts freedom from domination by selfish influences but
declares that the West still trusts in his ability out the prob
lem Of administering the nations affairs the the entire
neooe as opposed the interest of the predatory few
What distinguished correspondent says may be true OF the
far West; but it not true Of the middle West Particularly
~ Of Iowa This storm center of insurgency not in state Of
suspended Judgment touching Mr. Taft 1t has made up mind
and conclusion reached adverse to the President The average
Iowa farmer who voted for Taft has become convinced sorrow
and regret that Mr. Taft the President of the old machine crowd
Of his party In due when nominations for 1912 be
made of Iowa and of other mdWese States will be
lifted in behalf Of other aspirant
Theodore Roosevelt in his personality and his policies embodied
the political ideas of the average the Missouri valley
No history captured their hearts and their maginahons
as he did beside the question dsuc whether the unboded
confidence reposed him justified by the facts of his public
reer or argue the sonde unsoundneSs of his political phil
osoph The truth that the farmers OF this region
believed rather believe that Roosevelt stood rock against
the of privilege and greed and that confidence
stead of being impaired been strengthened by the fact that his
all appearances has gone over bodily to the
opposition
the man selected by Roosevelt carry the Roosevean policies
was They knew little nothing about him personally
When he assumed office natural that they should watch with
Jealous eye he would remain true to the Roosevelt principles
and they have been disappointed almost from the first day OF his
administration.
that notorious Rooseveians being made wei
come at White Then the consciousness that ultra
conservatism of the corporation lawyer brand was to control IN te
councils of the cabinet Following that swiftly the news that
Taft had been party the reelection OF Speaker Cannon regarded
the mid West the head devil of the old machine ogarch BY
the time the special session OF Congress met public trust OF Ia @
already begun seriously weaken
Then came the tariff struggle All through the long days of last
summer there was feeling that the President letting his cam
pn promise of revision downward 90 by default while he played
golf Hope famed up little when toward the close OF the deDa
he proclaimed with show Of irn,ess that his pledge be
a1
bill and tried seuce Western Congressmen and Senators from
their nsugen allegiance into voting for it From that time on the
mdWesten nurgentswo compose the bulk OF their party mere
abous-have reckoned Taft as hopeless.
And if the tariff asco enough to destroy his popularity
the President himself furnished the material to complete the task
came in his speeches during his tour he stare al Du W
Paing Aldch leader of the tariff beraya-Adrh VINO out
here phes everything that repugnant to the Kooye an
which Taft pledged Coming West the President eed an
opportunity afforded him at W1nona Mimi. 10 praise t J
Minnesota Congressman who violated the party tari pe anu
virtually to read of the party the Senators and congressman VII"
stood steadfas -, r
That capsheaf ended forever any hope Mr. Iat
Icing able win back the confidence of those States which trust ana
approve the leadership of Cins Dove BristoW and Muir
dock Cpp Nelson and La Toilette The contmey wnfn M he
heaped upon those men will resented by their constituents 10 t
last day of his pubic ife "a
Elsewhere on his trip Mr. Taft merely added to the unpoPua
Ut his course and confirmed the Judgment OF condeiao
"lnona speech brought down upon him. lie selzed every M
hobnob with the most offensive machine cnaCel nar
party can boast, and to disparage and ignore
s" es The impression he gave was tina! tg ne @ ; ] and that
regime OF Mark Hanna had been restored IN all IT'S % @ % % the
the day Theodore Roosevelt That is the view m
middle West took of his It is view moreover " o'
"ot De eradcaed by any thing short OF miracle ,,I
Now that he is back Washington Mr. latt mas m s I IS
urher He has written letter to William Dudley ~
indiana which has been widely commented on IN the h NJ
emitting and denouncing the nsurgen movement 1d
rOuke for aying himself with it. and bearing down marc M
Key party solidarity and Submission to the VIII ol ' p
majority n
The that this letter conveys acquainted with %
nent In these md-Western Saes-States SO essetd III m =
dn national Success-s that Mr. Taft is stupid The
may SEEM he has failed utterly grasp the sgnG ca he d
strength and mitancy of the in1rgent movement h should
stood the remoses degree it incomprehensibe that ne
openly ou even if he intended ultimately to crush It, Inc
te man nNlln