Los Angeles herald., 1910-12-08
TAFT is NO LEADER
DRESIDENT TAFT'S message to congress
reveals him as the same timid character who
has forfeited the confidence of the masses

DRESIDENT TAFTS message to congress
reveals him as the timid character who
has forfeited the confidence of the masses
who want reforms and want them forthwith. Not
so much by what he says by his manner and
what he does not say is this timidity made appar
ent In every step he takes he is the cautious,
servatiVe we have learned to know who thinks
something ought to be done, perhaps, but that we
shouldn't be rash about it.
A great moral question oVerShadOWs all other
matters of politics and craftsmanship, but there is
not word in Tuesdays message about it. The
question is the deadly clutch that incorporated
money has gained legislation and admins
tration, and even over some of our courts Spe-
cial privilege isn't killed. it's only scotched little
Least of all men the president should be fooled
by thinking any real progress has been made to-
ward the dethronement of money.
And yet to read Mr. Taft's complacent message
one would suppose there no great moral issue,
of vital Importance to capital and labor, to rich
and poor to city and farms, to west and east. The
president will be satisfied if things they can
move along in their accustomed way, if congress
will kindly refrain from disturbing coincidence"
by doing anything rash. That is the tenor of the
whole massage. When he does make positive
declaration you feel somehow that it is not born Of
the kind of conviction that would fight for its be-
lief
If somebody should ask us to put finger on
any spot in the message that is very timid we say
frankly it would not be easy to comply; yet that
spirit IS there III hundred places. 1t is there III
the general note of caution; the concern for bust
ness confidence which phrase is Wall streets old
soporific; i'll the evident desire to conform to- a
program that his old conservative friends sup
port, as we'll as the insurgents.
Mr.. Taft has not read his lesson of November
we'll He is still listening to those who back ship
subsidies those who don't want much parcels post
extension until we 'can afford it,; those who want
tariff corrections delayed until commission can
come into existence and get to work, and God
knows when that will be- those who want more
warships and Notifications for the profit there is i'll
the business OF war; those who want bureau of
health to bring about medical trust.
Mr.. Tafts millionaire brother and all his club
friends will approve the message safe and sane
document They think it is radical enough to suit
reasonable progressives (they have reached a
frame of mind that admits some progressives can
be reasonably, and it will not wake up any dogs
of war 1t is the impression his acts create in the
fashionable clubs that Mr.. Taft appears TO con-
slider There he feels the "soid" clements of
American business life gather and discuss in pad
ded leather chairs over their Scotch-and-soda the
welfare of business"
The pathetic thing is that while Mr.. Taft has
lost the confidence of the masses he has not gained
in its place the support of the element he has
sought to pacate. The substance he had when
he was elected--the confidence of the entire coun-
try-he has dropped, like the dog in the fable, for
the shadow of support from that element Aldrich
and Sherman typify.