Evening journal., 1909-01-21
Thursday, January 2l, 1909
TAFT AS AN ORACLE.

"A RE our Presidents TO become general ex-
4 \ Founders of wisdom on all kinds of topics? (?
II would seem 50. President Roosevelt has set
a lively pace lie has discussed about every
thing under the sun, and his opinions on states
manship as well as on social matters have been
eagerly sought. And when he retires the Presi-
dent intends to continue giving the public The
benefit Of his advice.
Mr. Taft will have difficult task il he at
tempts to match Roosevelt in this matter. But
the new President is going bravely at it. The
Southern trip for him has proved good prelimi-
nary training ground Taft went TO the South
for recreation and health building. lie has been
Hospitality entertained. Men and women and
children black and white have called on him.
and he has. of course been forced TO make
speeches on topics other than political. The
new President therefore, may become a reposi-
tcry of encyclopedia knowledge
The fair school girls Of a Georgia town were
recently addressed by the Presdent-clect who
touched the womans suffrage question. His
opinion. he said, had changed. When a boy,
under the sway Of his fellow pupils of the fairer
sex. he wrote essay advocating womans suf-
frage. but he is now doubtful on that point. And
in fact he rather believes in separate education
and not in co-education of the sexes.
As he spoke on the suffrage question, Mr..
Taft observed that the Southern lassies were not
particularly interested in il. In fact the "new
woman movement has made little progress in
the South. The old fashioned idea still prevails
there. Mr. Taft wound up by saying that when
woman really wants suffrage she will get il, as
she gets about everything else she desires
Mr. Taft will bring upon his head the condem-
nation of the army of militant suffragettes who
are working for the right to vote. And even
some of our own local suffragettes who expressed
themselves during a recent campaign as being
suspicious of man as a politician will look ask
ance at the new President
Taft had good word for the unmarried
woman and why not He spoke of delightful
aunts who were unmarried and intimated that il
is better TO remain unmarried than to be i'll
mated. Mr.. Taft said nothing about the mother
in-iaws. but he will probably lug them in for a
kindly word as he progresses towards oracular
wisdom. And if he could Danish the cheap and
stale Jokes about the mother-in-aw from the
stage, he would have accomplished something
worth while.
OF course, in his views on marriage Mr. Taft
is in conflict with President Roosevelt, who has
been telling everybody that glory consists in big
families, although strange 70 relate many people
have not been able to accept this Rooseveltan
doctrine
Il think" says the Presdent-elect "that the
secret of most domestic inielicity is in the fact
that young women think that unless they are
married their lives are not a success As mat
ter Of fact ] think the reverse is exactly true"
If such expressions DO not call for thunderous
message from the present occupant of the White
House., we are mistaken. If Taft continues tc
express such views, a thunderbolt may be hurled
at him, or the President may start on a horse
back ride TO Georgia to deliver the rebuke in per
son. Taft is treading on dangerous ground.