The Washington times., 1910-01-10
THE PRESIDENT TO PURSUE :
CONSERVATIVE COURSE.

President Tafts message on the
control OF railroads and corporations
doing an interstate business Is radical
only in the ewes Of those people who
cannot bring themselves TO realize that
the people Of this country have made
I'D their minds not to permit such
rowerfuI agencies TO be gathered into
= few hands without doing their best
n establish some method OF restraint
yrbeu restraint becomes necessary
Viewed IN the sense that the Ad-
,,,5nis+ra+ion does not mean TO take
The hack track on what are known as
essentially the Roosevelt problems,
the Presidents message should have
rssssurinq effect It Is a policy which
means conservation of values We can
not imagine anything more unset
tFng than the announcement, ror IN
stance. that this Admin stration IN
tended TO do nothing, but TO let things
take their course That would have
been a policy which would have meant
the unsettling Of everything In every
S4zte. IN every city the cry would
have gone UP that all that had been
attained IN the last five years had been
thrown overheard and that the hgnt
must begin afTesh- The radicals are
those who insist that railroads shall be
Let alone to do as they please, that cor
porations shall be permitted 10 exploit
the people without limit except such as
their own greed suggests The an
uouucement OF such a policy would
have meant chaos. What the PTesl-
dent has said, in effect, Is that the
country means to pursue patiently and
steadily but ssnely and couseTvatIveiy
the path It set out 20 follow
And surely nothing that has occur
red in the last few years gives those
who are opposed TO this determination
the right 10 say that II Is not immense
" better than to fold hands and let
things take their course We believe
one thing-tbat thing being popular
belief that an honest Administration
is seeking a fair solution OF the great
problems which vex the cOuntry-has
done more than enything else TO make
the people bear with patience the great
increase in prices Of all the necessariea
Of life that has fallen so heavily on
wage-earners- Right or wrong, the
public has made up its mind that much
of this increase Is due to the gathering
into a few powerful hands Of the vast
agencies Of transportation and DIS
tribzrfion. tt would not be content viii
the conclusion that nothing at all car
be done or even attempted that VII
better present conditions Admitting
that consolidation Is the modern al
s-sr 70 the demand for economy and
for efficiency; admitting that com
petition may not be the best solution
Of many OF the vexstioUs question:
which have arisen, It Is too much L
expect that the great body OF TIT
ue0oIe shall view with complacency oi
Indifference the gradual absorption b!
small number of men Of Interests
which 50 vitality concern them
The sober announcement Of a PTesi
dent as judicial minded as Mr.. Tai
that the goal at which the country i
aiming Is not coniscation. not de
structiun OF values, not discourage
ment Cf enterprise, but satisfaction o
. rational public demand for som
method Of protecting the public vel
fare. serves to plant on a still nor
substantial foundation the sane an
sober resolve Of a free people,