Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-01-16
Legislation Can Only Be Secured
with Aid of Congress.
BREACH WOULD CAUSE DEADLOCK
All Officials Must Work Together if
Pledges Are Kept.
DIFFICULT SITUATION TO MEET
DemaEOgues who Are Trading on
what They Call 'CannOnism" and
"AIdrIchism" Are Playing Into
Democratic Hands.
(From a Staff Correspondent.) }


gram.)-It Is no longer a secret that
President Taft and his advisers have be-
come somewhat vexed at the prevailing
character of criticism tnat sweeping the
country, In and out Of the republican party,
criticism that is aimed at the cooperation
that the president Is trying to establish
between himself and the leaders of the
party In the two houses of congress and
which must be established IL there is to
DO any forward step during the session
that Is now under way.
This criticism, as the president and his
friends see it, loses sight of all the funda-
mentals in the existing state OF affairs.
The position taken by the president and
his advisers ls 1t may be stated, accurately
set forth in the following review of the
situation:
1t isn't a question of whether President
Taft likes Senator Aldrich and Speaker
Cannon, and their associates in congress,
or whether they like him or approve his
politics lie might entertain for all Of them
a profound dislike personally and officially
and yet, II the present session Of congress
is 10 do anything TO give the country the
legislation II is demanding, he must
work with these men and they must work
with him. Failure to do this would bring
the present session of congress 20 an In
glorious end on the eve of a political cam
paign, the party pledges unfulfilled, the
president more or less discredlted with the
people and pave the way to election of
democrats to the house in November.
Play to Democratic Party.
The democrats could ask for nothing
better than that the president listen to the
advise of many of his well meaning but
misguided friends all over the country.
and bling on breach between himself
and the congress leaders. such course
would result In legislative stagnation dur
ing the remainder of the Sixty-frst con-
gress continue the same throughout the
sixty-second congress, under the benefieent
management Of a democratic house and
bring the Taft administration to close
March 4, 1913, with record of nothing
%trhe foregoing are the plain facts, and
the president is anxious to have all his
friends In the country understand this.
As he sees the case a break between him
and the leaders of either house OF con-
nEreEs no matter how much some people
seem to think they would be pleased to see
It brought about, could only result in party
disaster. And so he has made up his mind
to disregard the criticisms referred to and
to work with these leaders in the most
cordial sort of way. to the end that the
present session of congress may have to
its credit legislation that will appeal to the
country by showing a real intent on the
part of the republicans to carry out their
platform pledges.
difficulty in Present Conditions.
President Taft realizes that he has come
!, into that high office at time when the
difficulties surrounding It are very great.
Some of this difficulty has been caused by
his political enemies, much OF It by men
within the republican party, who are mis-
Informed and not In position to pass judg-
ment on the things Of which they speak.
Many In this latter class sincerely wish
him well, and would be glad to help in any
way possible. but others OF them are under
the influence of the so-called ultra-insur-
gents OF the house and senate and there
A pre- hardly in 4 position to do him justice
N even when disposed to do so.
Z TO all these critics the president has
one replyi that they are demanding that
he do something which he he's not the
power TO do, except by associating with
the republican party and the men who lead
Il in the house and senate. The general
feeling of these administration critics, as
the president sees II, is that he should
enact laws without any party and reach
affirmative results by the unaided power
OF this good right hand. The president be-
lieves that the absurdity OF this view will
ultimately be recognized by the people, al
though there is a possibility that this will
not happen until after the republican party
has been defeated two or three times, and
the utter emptiness OF the demagogues
who are now trading on what they call
'Cannonism" and "Aldrichism" clearly
proved.
President Must Use Congress.
II is, of course obvious that all the
president can do is TO do the best he can
TO make the government as good as he
can and to secure as much legislation as
he can IN the right direction. 1t should
also oe obvious that in doing these things
ie m6st use these instruments which are
Indispensable TO the passage of laws. This
statement is elementary, and the president
fails TO understand why his friends do NOT
understand H.
The truth is, and he and his advisers
have been quick to realize H. that the
United States Is now passing through a
period OF supreme hyprocrisy In which the
man who makes the loudest protestations
OF hatred Of monopoly and political cor
rupuon and bossism, has a great advant-
age The person who is at Disadvantage
is the person upon whom fail the necessity
for affirmative action and the enactment
OF beneficial legislation. These responsible,
ones are free to formulate their Ideals, anc
make mouths before the public Ia favor Of
them and then blame others for not com
ing up TO those ideals IN practice.
This has frequently been the case II
American politics, and President TAFT re.
n NRliEes that his fate is not different from
Aat Of men who have been president be
Sore him But he Is anxious that thos.
people who are sincerely desirous OF hii
success and that OF the party whose leader
he 10. should remember that he is labOrlnl