The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-07-12
REHABILITATION OF TAFT.

Colonel Harvey, the democratic edi-
tor of Harper's Weekly, has been &C
customed to bitterly reproach republi-
can administrations, past and present
But the colonel is disposed to comment
favorably on the recent successes OF
President Taft. He is even. willing to
go as far as giving "the devil his due"
In recent editorial he had the fol-
lowing about the manner in which
President Taft has regained popular
favor and won administration sue
cesses:
The closing weeks of the first regu-
lar session of the sixty-first congress
have brought back to the administra-
ton much of the prestige it had lost.
That fact is too plain for denial. 1t is
almost as plain as was the previous
loss of prestige. The loss came in part
from disapproval by public opinion Of
what the administration had done and
had proposed; but it came also in great
part from the apparent inability of the
administration to carry through its
proposals. That second reproach is
now removed. People may continue to
criticise President Taft for what he
has done and what. he has asked con-
gress to do, but it can no longer be
said that he has proved a failure in
the matter of getting congress to do
what he wanted. On the contrary, il
must be conceded that in this respect,
! as compared with most of his pred
ecessors. he has made a good show
| ing. Congress, Indifferent or luke
warm or hostile to his main proposals
as it long appeared to be, has never
theless finally attended to them, and
they have taken shape as laws-the
railroad act the postal repositories act
the act granting statehood to Arizona
land New Mexico, the conservation act
1t is quite true that these measures
have not kept in their passage the
shape they had originally. Specific
provisions recommended or desired by
the president have been stricken out
and other provisions not recommended
and probably not desired have been put
In. There have been both concessions
and compromises. But here is a very
substantial body Of entirely new legis-
lation, started by the executive initia-
tive, driven through mainly by the ex-
ecutive influence, and still in It's final
form largely in keeping with the pres
ident's ideas. When we have added the
campaign expenses publicity bill;
which at this writing seems fairly GER
tain Of passing, and the securing of
the appropriation for the tariff COM
mission, one of the principal and most
damaging charges against the admin,
istration--that of mere weakness and
ineffectiveness-woul seem to be pref
ty we'll disposed of.
Undoubtedly this eleventh hour re-
covery of the administration will have
it's effect on the political situation. 1t
brightens the outlook for the party in
power, lessons the oppositions hope
and opportunity. Republican cam
paign orators will not be wholly de-
barred from boasting of their party's
ability to get together and do things
But the old republican claim of eff
fectiveness, of competence, can and
will be made again, and many thou
sands of voters will honor it.
RE- The bleached blond -four is on the
wape.
ar JEFF should have quarantined
against Johnson.
fzr Monday forenoon's rain was not
heavy-but it helped.
ar was the Same fly that bothered
you yesterday all day waiting for You
when you unlocked your desk this
morning?
eB How can newspapers consistent
ly rail against pictures of fight cf
which they published all the details?
How is it any worse for fight fan