Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1910-05-25
Taft a. Mr.. Fearing.

d.
is, after all, the question of immediate
interest in national politics. The au-
tumnal elections are six months away
"a whole half year. Not only is Con-
gress in session, but legislation uncon-
nected with the issues between the
parties and of great Importance to the
country appears hopelessly becalmed.
The Ship of State hangs in stays, and
the skipper doesn't know exactly what
to do.
Theodore Roosevelt's government was
largely personal. He antagonized the
| old organized leadership of Senate and
House; he shook its power, but organ
lied nothing to take its place. The
Congressional situation is chaotic in
consequence. 1t is such an hour MS
| naturally causes the country to turn to
the EXecutive-not for draft of laws
which Congress should pass, but for.
fearless comment upon the relation be-
tween political ways and means and
national ends, for such emphasis upon
few salient points as shall give a
public opinion now confused and bewil-
dered definite set and direction.
The people of the United States be-
lieve in President Taft's sincerity and
honesty They would rally to his sun
port II he would make an appeal which
impressed them as simple and clean
cut. Why doesn't he do it? Why does
he allow the ship to pound upon the
shoal without word to the crew?
In Bunyan's immortal allegory there
is man named Mr.. Fearing. He is a
man of pure heart and clear mind; his
intentions are the best. But he keeps
to the hear; he has in him nothing OF
the stuff of leadership; he reaches the.
Celestial City simply because the body
of pilgrims carries him along; he fol-
lows because Mr. Greatheart leads the
way.
President Taft is Mr.. Fearing. He is
a man OF clear mind and pure thought.
his destination is right; he is patriotic.
But in national crisis he lacks both
vision and courage.
We believe that he lacks vision be-
cause he lacks courage. II he dared
more he would understand more. Sa-
vonarola used to say that "a man
knows as much as he does" The work
of the world is done on partial knowl-
edge by men who dare the conse-
quences of their own ignorance.
Anything would be better for the
country than the course Mr.. Taft is
pursuing. The conflict between the in
surgents and the standpat forces is ir.
repressible, and must be fought to an
outcome, but the nearest approach Mr..
Taft made to expression was in the
possible innuendo conveyed when he
referred to Democrats and Republi
cans-Republican and Insurgents"
The man in the street wants to know
where to count the President. The
railroad bill is being torn to pieces by
Congress. Wednesdays audiences
would have liked to know how, its In
spirer felt about it. Silence is not only
neutral; 1t is positively harmful. A
tremendous potential force for the d.
rection Of public opinion was In those
crowds; why did not the President try
to WELD and direct it? Is he ashamed
of his cause? Has he lost confidence in
his power to persuade? Has he ceas-
ed to believe that the people are worth
reasoning with?
Sometimes we have suspected that
Mr., TAFT might be another General
Thomas, who never fought greatly un-
til pressed to the last extremity. II
this be true, the supreme effort is due
now.-St. Louis Republic.
Tariff and Cost of Living.
It is comparatively easy to gather
from the statistics the added cost Of
foreign goods from tariff taxation that
goes as revenue into the federal treas
ury. This money is used to defray the
cost Of government. 1t is indirectly
collected from the ultimate consumer
He doesn't know when he pays it, and
doesn't grumble, however much 1t
adds to the cost of living.
But there is no means of getting at
the actual sum OF money paid by con-
sumers for goods on which the tariff
llevies prohibitory duties. On such
SUUuSg IAt pIolcSlSu uAoAoPoiAeo anu
combination levy taxes, every dollar
of which goes into their own pockets.
Their own greed is their only limit
Some slight measure Of the extent
Of the tax may be gathered from the
knowledge Of the excessive profits and
the vast wealth accumulated by favor
ed interests. Nothing enters SO heavi-
| ly into The cost of living as this mer-
CHESS drain on the pockets of the
mass. But no government inquiry will
draw forth the facts or set forth the
remedy. What the government gets
is duly accounted for. What the peo-
pie pay to their legitimate plunderers
is a matter of guess Philadelphia
Record.
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