Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-08-29
Taft and Cannon,

I none on the administration, and the
| administration owes Joe Cannon moth
| ing. He has been able to shout that
he is regular; it has been his stock in
trade, with which to buffet the winds Of
public opinion. The administration has
suffered more in silence, to shield Can
non, in order to have no open breach
that would hurt the old mans feelings,
or injure the republican party, than
Cannon has suffered from the on
slaughts of the progressives, for they
have not abused him personally, while
he has endeavored strenuously to put
the president in a false light, and have
it appear that the administration has
repudiated, of it's own free will, the last
republican national platform.
Let us not condemn Taft for what
he is not guilty of. Let us at least
not claim that he owes allegiance to
Cannon. Cannon is indebted to the ad
ministrations of both Roosevelt and
Taft for having stood for him, and to
Roosevelt for having also publicly
praised him. He should be grateful to
them both.
Taft has said that the Payne Aldrich
tariff law is the best that ever was
passed. And this is probably true. 1T
is undoubtedly as good as could be
passed under the Cannon regime But
the country demands better things. 1t
demands the exit of the Cannon re-
gime, and when that has taken place,
it will be seen that a better bill is
possible. Tafts mistake was not one
Of untruthfulness when he made this
statement. but was rather one of I'M
tactfulness, and not very good politics.
or we might say poor grand stand
playing. 1t was not exactly the oppor-
tune thing to say, but man may be
good president and a poor politician,
we believe. Taft has made a few other
untactful and unpopular remarks. par
ticularly when he told the people of
Rhode Island that he hoped their Mr..
Aldrich would be able to take a swing
around the circuit and tell the people
about the tariff. There was nothing
very bad about this remark, but it was
not in touch with public sentiment. We
don't care to take any lessons from AL
drich. The president probably thought
that Aldrich was better posted on the
tariff, and as he had had part in max
ing the bill, that he could explain
it. If President Taft had been a poll
tician he would have said it this way:
y
for this here tariff bill, you get out
there and square it with the people Of
the west" This would have been popu-
lar. Taft made another statement
unpopular in the west, when he told
the people of Ohio that it was a mis-
take for them not to keep their repre-
sentatives longer in congress. for the
possibilities of public usefulness were
measured largely by length Of service,
and that the west had made this mis-
take. We don't agree with him, altho
his statement was true as applied to
the old way Of running things. APP
piled 10 what we expect of the future,
it was an erroneous statement. OF the
future. we expect that new man sent
to congress- fresh from the people.
interrupted by length of experience
with the pork barrel. will have as much
to say about this government, as he
who has pulled the wires and fortified
himself in his position by passing out
the pie until he thinks it is impossible
to dislodge him and that he can do
what he will. But the primary has
made it possible for us to kick him out.
Taft should have said. The crying
need of this country. is not brainy men,
for we have plenty: not wire pullers.
for we have plenty: but plain. honest
men. and if perchance you feel that
YOU have got such a one into congress.
keen him there. for government should
be run like any other business institu-
tons, but many who are there are not
above suspicion, and when you suspect
them with any reason therefor at all.
fire them out. and put in men you do
not suspect, for 1t is better that you
have a man you trust, even tho the one
YOU fire may not be so bad because no
real patriot will consider 1t necessary
to the country's salvation that he be
kept in office" This would have been
popular
Taft has made few mistaken utter
ances. But let us criticise If we will,
and condemn only those mistakes,
which. as will be seen, may not be so
bad after all. Let us not be too impa-
tent and condemn him for what he is
not guilty of. Above ALL let US not
now argue against his profiting by the
exposure of the standpat plot in New
York state, which has shown conclus-
lively that the protested love of the
standpatters for Taft, has been large