New-York tribune., 1909-10-06
TAFT GREETS SOLDIERS
Continued from first page.

comrade in attempting to initiate legislation
and to pioneer in the far distant islands Of the
Pacific.
1t is a great pleasure 70 be here in this unique
theatre and talk TO body of people who rep
resent the highest aspirations of a common
wealth. Professor Moses has alluded to the
fact that we are veering around to the sci
entists, whether it be in politics in agricult-
ure-he did not mention theology, but IL is a
fact that the universities of the land. and sspe-
cially such a one as this, placed so centrally
and embracing so large a student body, are COM
ing TO figure more and more with their infiu-
ence on the science of government and the
course Of parties.
The business Of the government is not an
easy one when you are in it There are OBJ
stacles and friction and difficulties that II IS
not possible always to explain: but the ex-
istence Of which one who is in the middle OF II
can affirm with great emphasis; and it is these
obstacles and difficulties and friction that are
not always appreciated by the critics, who do
not have the responsibilities None the less.
the high standard set by those critics is of the
utmost use in lifting up government and llfting
up people.
like to affirm that 1 am an optimist, and an
optimist with respect 10 popular government.
We have TO admit that on the whole the result
which is reached by TeconCiling and compromls-
ing all the views Of differing people IS better
than if we followed with literal fidelity the the
ory of any one person
Popular government is justified and vindicated
on the theory that every cIass-and by that
mean those who in respect to a community are
similarly situated and affected by the same cir
cumstanceS-is better able in the long run 10
those interests. than the members OF any other
class. however altruiStic that other class may be-
and that being the foundation Of popular gov
ernment, and it being impossible, therefore for
any one class to give out laws for all the neceS-
sary result OF our government is compromise.
and he is a good citizen who recognizes that
necessary result, and who, when his own opinion
is not followed out as he would like TO have IL.
becomes what remember your own distin-
guished professor lectured on in the university
when 1 was here-"he must make himself a
good loser" He must play the game. He is
popular government gives him until by his In
1uence with the people who control he can lead
them in the direction which he would, and if
they do not go in that direction he has 20 play
ball with them and follow them.
JUSTICE IN MATTER OF FREE TPADE
President Taft then referred to his association
with the University Of California. which the
members Of the first Philippine Commission Wis
tied on their way TO the eastern archipelago.
He said:
We worked along on the Philippine problem,
and I think we have achieved considers HE
about justice to those islands in the matter of
free trade between the United States and those
I can well remember the fog. for in spite OF
the bright sunlight OF that day iC was a fog that
we were looking into as we left the Golden Care
and turned the Prov OF our vessel toward the
Philippines. We did not know what IL vas We
were TO meet The future was dark and OBJ
scure, and IL any man would have said that that
trip would land me in the Presidency OF the
United States. I should have felt like charac-
teriZing him either as a fslsifier or man with
out sense
But that is IT. You never can tell what the
future is going TO bring about II seemed long
way around to the White House 20 go out ten
thousand miles into the tropics but that is
where 1t landed me; and I started from
Berkeley. il delights me now that have reached
that goal if il can be called goal for was
not wandering in that direction consciously. II
is pleasure 20 me here 10 testify 20 the asso-
citation, one Of the most important in nv life
which have had with this grand old institution.