The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-02-26
Has President Taft's fold On Pub
lie Confidence Been Weakened?

Now that the first year of Presi-
dent Taft's administration is drawing
to close, members of his party are
asking themselves whether the Presi-
dents record measures up to their
expectations. A certain amount Of
disappointment exists, it seems, parti-
cularly in the West. This is indicat-
ed forcibly in the results of poll Of
3,037 Republican editors living west
| of the Alleghenies. The Chicago Tri-
bune put to the editors the query: "If
you could vote for President today,
for whom would you cast your ball
lot?" No names of candidates were
| suggested. The editors voted thus
Roosevelt, 1860; Taft, 1903; La
Toilette, 1877; Hughes, 1872; Cummins,
66; Pinchot. 80; Cannon. IA: Bryan,
40; scattering, 16.
The figures are remarkable, If not
surprising. The actual President lags
In popularity far behind his prede-
/
favorable vote is emphasized by the
votes favoring Pinchot, La Toilette
and Cummins, who are prominent ex-
| ponents of policies opposed to those
of President Taft. In two-thirds Of
the States it Is Roosevelt no Taft,
who Is endorsed. In the Lake group
Of States Roosevelt has 4S6 votes to
Taft's 427; in the Prairie States, GIT
to Taft's ATS; on the Pacific Coast, 1874
to Taft's 90. Only In the Mountain
States does the President lead, with
66 votes against "a for the ex-Presi-
dent. Even in Ohio Taft has but 10
votes more than Roosevelt.
| Mr.. Roosevelt gained In strength to
the close Of his administration. Why
Is President Taft's hold upon the pub
lie weaker and weaker as time goes
on? What particular deficiencies has
he shown? The reply, in brief. is
that he has wabbled in regard to the
tariff, has seemed disposed to secure
harmony" in the public land SER
vice by ignoring serious charges. has
proposed centralizing legislation in
regard to Federal interpretations of
an alarming character. and generally
has failed to exhibit the discretion,
the judicial fairness and higher
statesmanship expected Of him.
Very unfavorable is the view taken
of his Lincoln Day speech at the Re-
| publican Club, in which even Republi..
can papers charge that he defended
the Payne tariff like q stump speaker,
not like statesman. His effort to
show that his party had not promis-
ed downward revision" smacks Of
insincerity. Votes were got for the
party by leading the public-Particu-
| larly in the West-to believe that the
tariff burden would be lightened No
popular enthusiasm could have been
excited by an intimation that tariff
revision was to be in the interest
solely of the stand-patters. The
New York Journal Of Commerce finds
the Presidents Lincoln Day argu-
ment for the Payne tariff merely an
echo Of the pleas which Aldrich and
Payne have been proclaiming ever
since the tariff bill was enacted, and
there has been sufficient exposure Of
the superficial character of the de-
tense where 1t Is not wholly falla-
cious." The New York Times de-
plores Mr.. Taft's "using again the
trumpery figures exposed in all their
falseness long ago, and many times,
to show that the new tariff is a revi-
sion downward" The PHILADELPHIA
North American confesses that two
years ago 1t hailed, Mr.. Taft as "a
great American" and "did not begin
to yield to the fear that the Presi-
den did not measure up to the re-
quirements Of his time until we read
his speech of Saturday. It proved to
be good stump speech. 1t was par
tisan. 1t was a defense of the mach
inery and not an appeal to the prin-
ciples of the party. 1t was a national
proclamation utterly devoid Of ideals
| What Is worse, it was a confession Of
probable party defeat in next Novem-
| ber's election.
Quotations ike these could be null
piled indefinitely They all have this
burden, that the President too mar
rowly conceives his relation to public
interests, and fails to measure up to
the demands OF situation which,
while full OF difficulties, is full Of op-
portunities for a man Of strength,
wisdom and patriotism.-B Baltimore