The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser., 1909-11-12
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF
PRESIDENT TAFT'S
FRIENDLY OVERTURES
TO THE SOUTH.

The various intimations which
have been dropped by the President
in his recent speech, as be approach
ed Washing ton have been most sug-
gestive of important matters. Con
gress will meet in less than four
weeks from this time, and the Pres-
dent has doubtless well considered
the recommendations that he will
make in first regular message, in
which he will undertake to perform
his constitutional duty to 'give to
the Congress information Of the state
of the Union and recon mend to their
consideration such masures as be
shall judge necessary and expient."
In his speeches he has intimated
clearly some of the recommendations
he will make. At Macon Mr.. Taft
said" "The Administration was
elected on the platform that we pro-
pose to carry out the policies of
Theodore Roosevelt, and we propose
to keep that PROMISE" But Mr.. Taft
did not promise to carry them out
by violence and the employment OF
language with riously disturbed
the orderly course of business.
Mr.. Taft is just as much disposed to
make the railroad companies obey
the law as Mr.. Roosevelt was. But
be will not enforce the law in such
a way as to cause panic.
The President is evidently antici
pating opposition in his own party
in both houses of Congress to carry.
ing out the recommendations be will
make in his message. That antici
patton is most likely one cause OF
his recent appeals to the Southern
people for sympathy and support
He told them that he was not asking
them for their votes, but he vented
them to get closer to the Federal
administration. Whatever may ap-
pear on the sur face OF events and in
the amenities of after dinner speech
es, it is we'll known that there is nc
kind of sympathy between the Presi-
dent and the "standpatter" crowd in
Congress-with Cannon and his
followers in the House and Aldrich
and his followers in the Senate
These people may be expected to
oppose the Presidents policy wher-
ever that policy conflicts with "the
interests unless they are driven.
Mr.. Roosevelt drove them to the
support of one important measure
by using the Southern Senators,
from whom he turned his face as
soon as his object was accomplished
The Southern Senators and Repres.
entatives, if they should likely do so
with a feeling of confidence that he
would stand by them.
1t is not believed, however, that
Mr.. Taft will ask the support of the
South in any extreme legislation
against the railroads, and it is not
likely that he would receive it if he
did. In Georgia, as is well known,
there was reaction from such agi
tation WEIGH manifested itself by the
election of Governor Brown, who
was railroad official and in sympa-
thy with the railroads, over Hoke
Smith, who favored further antirail-
road laws. The same reaction 10
said to be in progress in Alabama.
and there seems to be peace in all
the South between the railroads and
the State governments. The South
wants the railroads, as Mr. Taft said
to ebey the law. But it wants the
railroads, as Mr.. Taft said, to obey
the law. But it wants more railroads
and does not desire to retard to. de-
velopment of the country by un-
necessary agitation.-Baitimore