The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1910-03-18

elements are just as essential to a ma
ton as they are to an individual, If
that nation is to rise on stepping
stones of its dead self to higher
things"
The American people are suffering
from astygmatism at the present time.
They are rightfully alarmed at the
tremendous power exercised by prey.
atory wealth." the corruption so prev
alent in public life, the low ideals
which characterize so many public
servants. There is "a noble discon
tent" abroad in the land which ex-
presses condemnation over the con.
tinued domination of the general veal
by the special interests of greed ana
graft and cunning. This dissatisfac-
ton is merging itself into a high pur-
pose that this state of affairs shall
cease to exist and that privilege must
give way to the rule of the people.
All this is encouraging, provided
that the ends aimed for are reached
in the right way and that we really
get after those who are responsible
for existing conditions and have the
power to change them. 1t is at this
particular juncture that purpose and
determination need to be accompanied
plans, if we were not careful we are
apt to bungle them, not because of
lack of intentions which are high, but
simply from a vision which is distort.
ed.
Such danger is peculiarly appar.
ent in the attitude of the people to-
ward President Taft. That they are
extremely critical of him is every
where evident. At the end of his first
year in the white house he finds his
popularity greatly diminished. Wheth-
er or not the remaining years of his
administration shall furnish such
proofs of his personal devotion to the
great principles of progress and civic
righteousness as shall compel the
people - generous and well disposed
in their intentions-to reverse their
present captiousness and give him
hearty support time only can tell.
But it is the present with which we
are concerned. The unfortunate posi-
ton in which Mr. Taft finds himself
is that the presidential office has been
so magnitied in its Importance by the
general public that the other branches
of government have been lost sight of.
This was due greatly to the career of
his strenuous predecessor. Mr. Roose-
velt's temperament is impetuous and
his tremendously vibrant, virile per-
sonality was so potential that he ac-
tually eclipsed everything and every
body else in anything he had to do
with. He regulated or attempted to
regulate everything under the sun
from railroads to spelling books. He
sent special messages to congress
daily and the result is that he educat-
ed the people to believe that the pres
ident was the man who not only did
| things, but the man who did 1t all
We are not minimizing the splendid
efforts of Theodore Roosevelt in awak-
| ening the nation to the dangers which
| menaced it. But with all his excel
lence, his defects as well had mark
| ed influence on the thought of the ma
| ton and led it into some grievous err
rors of judgment
President Taft suffers unfairly be-
cause of this in public opinion. The
| people naturally reason still from the
| Roosevelt viewpoint and honestly hold
that if the credit is due the president
for all the wise and commendable leg
islation which is passed. then for all
that is not done, he should likewise
shoulder the blame. And here is
where the people themselves are man.
ifestly unfair. They are putting too
much emphasis on the presidents duty
and forgetting that it belongs almost
wholly upon the congress of the Unit
ed States, the men whom the people
of each congressional district and
each state, by their own votes, have
sent down to Washington as their ac-
credited representatives.
The facts are that President Taft
has outlined and very clearly laid be-
fore congress program of legislation
remarkable for it's fullness and
breadth of comprehension of the real
needs of the country. These bills
cover the conservation of our natural
resources, the stricter regulation of
railroads, postal savings banks, con-
troll of industrial corporations, urge a
bureau of public health, the modifying
of injunctions and provides better
government in Alaska. No fair mind
ed man will deny that here is lots of
work cut out for congress to do and
work of the most admirable and pro-