The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-02-16
ROOSEVELT'S AIDS
WILL WALK PLANK
Continued from page u

Judge Taft saw the point, and
Meyer was made an exception:
There are no other exceptions
James r. Garfield, faithful yoeman
of Rooseveltism, is to go into pri-
vate life. He says he will return
and practice law in Cleveland.
James Wilson, father of the depart
ment of agriculture, and veteran of
the Mckinley and two Roosevelt
administrations, goes with the 9TH
ers. Frank Kellogg, prosecutor of
the Standard Oil cases, and slated
by Roosevelt as Bonapartes sue
cessor, is to give place to a lawyer
from Brother Henry's' office in
New York--a man named Wicker
sham Straus and Newberry-Jew
and Gentile-have received their
walking papers.
No more radical change could
have followed the election of a
man of a hostile political faith.
The friends of Roosevelt are
dumbfounded They see in this
wholesale sweep of the heads of
departments an inevitable era of
decapitation among the smaller
fry.
And" they are asking, IF Taft
is going to fire all his own old asso-
ciates in the Roosevelt administra-
ton how is he gonig to make good
his pledge to carry on the Roose-
welt policies? Why, If he intends
to finish the Roosevelt program.
does he get rid of all the men
trained in the Roosevelt SCHOOL,"
Judge Taft has been quoted as
having said to his own friends:
81 will be judged by the men by
whom | surround myself. l have
my own record to make and my
own place to secure in the conf
dence of the country. At the end
of my administration | might pro-
mote faithful servants to honorable
places. But l can't be expected to
take the young men who have
come up under my predecessor"
But this does not dispel the dark
gloom in places where the strenu-
GUS presidents friends congregate.
AS the full horror of the Taft
sweep dawns upon them, they
lament and feel that the new presi-
6apt &c fpdood uporatofu1
Taft" they lament, was chosen
to carry out the Roosevelt policies.
Because the people supposed he
would do so they put him in the
white house. Without Roosevelt's
backing he would have had neither
the nomination nor the election. 1t
is true he has his place to win in
the confidence of the country. He
has still to prove by his official
acts that he is worthy of the con-
fidence OF the friends of Roosevelt
And when he begins by sweeping
all the presidents associates aside,
he is not making a strong bid for
that confidence"
The friends of Roosevelt have
been slow to wrath. Indeed, it has
seemed too impossible for belief
that Taft could be guilty of the
sheer ingratitude which has
seemed to mark his course. They
have hesitated to believe that Taft
has gone over bag and baggage to
those interests which controlled
the executive branch of the govern
ment before Roosevelt came, and
which have made such a desperate
struggle for seven years to regain
their grip.
The indications, however, are all
against the president elect. His
bluff at opposition to the speaker
and the tariff tinkerers of the ways
and means committees, followed by
complete Endorsement of the Aid
richCannon ring in congress; his
neglect to ask any counsel at the
white house or to offer to repay
any of the friends who fought for
him beneath The Roosevelt stan
dard; and finally his complete re-
pudiation of Roosevets aids and
lieutenants, seem to have left little