Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-07-08
TAFT'S FEDERAL POLICY.

! In h,e .reecil at the banquet tho Presi-
dent declared his policy as to The federal
| government, saving that while he heiev-
ed an enlargement Of central authority
! might b" necessary he had abiding faith
| IN the constitution and n the indcstruc-
! tibie union nf 1nicstructible States The
President said in part:
The foreign affairs Of the United
States are committed TO the central gov
| ernment; but I'll, State Of New York and
the state of Vermont have in this in
stance taken a step to prove. and IS prov
Ing most important In our foreign rela-
tlons. They have strengthened the bond
that exists between the United States
and Great Britain. the United States and
France and the United States and Cana
da.
II want. on behalf Of the government
Of the United States to thank sincerely
those gentlemen. soldiers or Canada. who
did us tho honor to come here to-day and
make part OF that most noteworthy mill
tary review. and who showed their kind
ness, their neigh borly feeling by hecorn-
Ing a part of n military force in COM
mand Of United States colonel and
making such display as wouli bring
credit q any military command
And now. to the subject which has
been assigned me--the United States.
think II is not too much to say that
those who have studied our country
and our civilization and our constiti-
tion and our people, Will reach the con-
clas!on that there is no country In the
world more conservative than tho rov-
eminent ~ the United States In view ~
the changes which are taking place in
government; In view Of the ne,v doc
trines which ARE being advanced of a
socialistic character. think that Is one
of the most importsnt things 10 EN-
phas2e with reference to the United
states. don't mean 70 say that we are
not progressive In the sense that we
intend to keep up with the procession IN
development which she'l work more and
justice to ell; but l do mean to say that
the Ions continued training Of n people I'm
self-govcrnment Is certain to produce q
conservatism that cannot be expected
IN a people that nre newly como TO self
government and who suffer more violent
reactions on that account Not that we
are perfect in the United states not that
we don't need n great many reforms
can mention one that always comes 70
my mind and that ia the necessity OF re-
inal law. But when you look back and
soc the progress that we have made IN
many directions, ! think we ray con-
Eratu'ate ourselves IN living In an age in
which we are making progress. IN which
the people are more sensitive than thcy
ever were before to the criticisms that
We are not holding ourselves up tn the
right Ideals. There will come undouht- |
edly, ms our country becomes more and !
more populated as others press upon MS. |
tho necessity for the conservation of our |
resources. suggestion already necessary |
made upon that subject: there will come
test OF the practical operation of our
system OF State and national govern |
ments
And it Will doubtless be found that at
''ineS 'hat system does not work as we'll |
TO accomplish the reforms we are after
az system In which the federal gov-
ernment had much more power. and II
may be that In some directions II will
be found necessary to enlarge some
what the central power. but have an
abiding faith In the ,.Nstitution OF the
United States, as 1t Is maryelously
framed by that body of patriots nnd
lawyers and statesmen. in simple lam
suage bearing an elastic constitution to
meet conditions. that they in their widest
could not have foreseen.
and therefore. while In some compare
lively unimportnnt matters. we may
1--WE TO change that relation, feel
CONTINUED ON psge 81