The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-12-07
The Look Iirrorr You Leap" Mes

The President y message records one
excursion, and only one, into the gem
eralities OF governmental philosophy
This Massage is so characteristic Of Mr.
TAFT'S mind and methods and ~ such
sharp contrast with the impaSsIoned,
cocksure and last word d"liveran"rS OF
his predecessor on all sorts OF subjects.
that we single il out for exhibition:
The method OF impartial scientific study ny
,zPerts a. . preliminary Ia legislation. which
aopc Ia see ultimately adopted - a atrt
national policy with rr>perI 20 tnr rnrtI r.,r~
und harbors waterways art public buildings, is
iiso bcas pursued ny the non PARTISAN monetary
.,omriisson NJ Congress
Here is the formulation for the first
lime in a President. al mrssag if "" ar"
not mistaken of a distinct chang" ~
the working methods of the Federal
Government 10 meet the growing com
plexities of the public business: and this
without any strain on the Constitution.
my short cut Of TN" familiar Roosevelt
an kind. any expansion or usurpatIon
Of executive power. The inquiry by
competent Investigators possessing IN"
status conferred bv the formal warrant
)f Congress and regular appointment
by the President Is the preliminary
to the enactment of laws in regard 10
important matters which ar" difficult
problems. is n very different thing from
government by commission phras" I'M
plying the scattering Of direct eXecutiv"
responsibility. II involves no aggrun-
Element of the Executive at the "x-
Dense of the other departments. II falls
clearly within the letter and spirit of the
1econd section of Article III. IL trenches
not mt all upon the province of the Legis-
.at,ire. II leaves tn. Judiciary in the
unimpaircd exercise OF its functions.
This method Of prrfarati for in
elligent law making, which Nr. TAFT
ropes to see adopted ~ a fycd national
policy with regard To certain subjects.
> equally applicable To- other matters
which he does not specify in the para
l.raph quoted above. Ii IL already in
operation with respect To three of the
greatest questions before the country.
the reform Of the banking and currency
-
amendment of the interstate commerce
law. The inquiry conducted bv senator
ALDRrCH's committee. as W" infer from
what the President saws about u IL yrIC-
tically finished. Mr. TAFT report, that
the tariff board will probably have results
10 present during the first session of the
Sixty-second Congress that l. 70 say. IN
ha ,trit, q
session il called next wear President
HADLEYs commission Is organized and
az work
Look before YOU leGislate saws Presi-
lent TAFT. Remove In" question rs far
u possible frDrn the control Of par
tisanship and get the best available
Information from tn" specially quail
lied before You shape your laws How
different was the prDccdur" consistent"
practised during the previous Admin
istration' Tie final solution was first
evolved from the inner consciousness
If individual genius, if tho scientific
person wI- yy..i,d in ~ all Do Wa sum
moned at the peri! "f hl- reputation -
confirm tn" f"r"orlair"d con llsiuu.
and woe to IT," legislator and insult T.,
the court, that thought H." ooutra."..
The difference - partly psychological
but it il of considerable interest - our
elbow citizens
Mr.. TAFT's second annual message
discusses multitude Of things and l. bv
many thousands Of words unnecessarily
!ong. Tn" sur"rf'ui'y. howe, "r. - #
detail, not If f"v"rl-h vrrb.ag" Ygu
may 60 through th" President : pbs.r-
vations with clinical Thermometer
without discovering a centre oi inilam-
nation; and this il trri" all the same
whether you concur or object.