New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-04-11

If President Taft's administration
lacks popular support that fact is q re-
Election upon the capacity Of the Ameri-
can people for self-government. If it
finds the people cold il IS because the
people have not the power Of sustained
interest in the great projects that only
a few months ago filled their magma
ton. The present administration under
took the task OF "clinching" the work OF
fits predecessor, OF filling in the details
Of course that was only resolved upon
in broad outlines, Of applying the lessons
Of experience TO the perfecting of poll
cies that had been only recently under
taken. 1t was an indispensable work.
Let us illustrate with the subject OF
conservation. The last administration
withdrew and reserved to the public i'm
mensely valuable lands that were open
10 private appropriation. And that ended
fits work. But obviously that was only
the beginning Of conservation. Ii may
have performed the part that was most
easily apprehended and that appealed
most strongly TO the imagination. But
a mere boarding OF the vast undeyelOped
resources Of this country is unworthy Of
a practical people. Some way must be
found TO put TO use the great properties
reserved for the public Shall they be
sold for what they are worth? Shall
they be leased, right and title TO them
remaining forever in the possession Of
the people? Shall the nation enter upon
a socialistic experiment and develop
these resources itself? These are only
the broad questions that must be an
swered. But down right into details the
country must go and determine patiently
its intentions. The cry act OF with
drawing from private exploitation these
power sites and coal deposits places an
obligation upon the nation TO work out
it's plans in detail and make conservation
not a mere expression Of the national
emotions regarding the spread of monop-
olies but the act of a practical people
with q well defined end in view. Is il
to be conceded that the nation exhausts
its capacity for interest in and attention
TO a great problem in a burst Of en-
thusiastic acclaim at the initiation Of a
new policy?
We Ddht NOllE6ENdLlOu 10 lllusIIHTe
what has been done and what is TO do.
what "clinching" means. Almost as much
may he said regarding the regulation Of
interstate commerce. The country has
got further here than there, but again.
the details have to be worked out-tbe
painful, exact and exacting details that
try the souls OF enthusiasts, dreamers
and idealists- Has the nation no head
for details2 Is It incapable OF sustained
interest In the latest expressions Of the
national purpose? So, too, Of the trust
problem, and perhaps even more so than
Of conservation, for even the broad out
lines are not so apparent here as there.
This is the task OF Mr.. Taft-to make
bic the purposes OF the nation. He
has declared his support OF amendments
to the railroad law which will carry for
ward and perfect the policy Of railroad
regulation. He is urging the passage Of
conservation laws which viii bring con-
servation from the realm of morals and
the emotions into that OF practicable re-
ality. His Attorney General Is pressing
forward with the policy of the country
toward the great trusts. We observe an
unexpected degree Of fundamental unan-
Unity about the wisdom of his proposals.
In the public attitude toward his work.
toward the "clinching' of what the pub
lie has begun. the national capacity for
sustained interest even in the greater
concerns Of self-government is put to the
test. As Mr.. Taft said in his speech on
Saturday. IT is time 10 get to work. for
the people to get 10 work on and through
their Representatives in Congress. in
/ carrying forward the business that has
been begun.