The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-01-01
Our Struggle for POise.

Specializing with reference to Mr.. Taft's
reported establishment" at continued
.'denunciauon' anent public lands. for
ests. mines. and water powers" coupled
with so little Of suggestion as 90 con
structive" legislation, and the absence Of
"acts" rather than declarations" the
New York Evening Post says:
such nervous orerstrain in politics as We have
gone through VIII long leave its marx upon our
methods and or fo-ms Of speech. We shall oon-
tnue 20 think in hundreds Of Millions 20 start in
alright at conspiracies and c1y aloud and spare
not even If we have nothing practical 70 propose.
With these 'manners Of liberty as a French writer
calls them, rulers viii have 70 get On best
they can"
II there is one immediate danger ahead
for Mr.. Taft's administration, we should
say it les IN vague and as yet feebly
developed fear among the people that he
may strive 10 steer the ship OF state
through waters too calm and serene.
It is rather generally agreed that It is
high time to bark back TO conservatism
in measure; that the big business enter
prises-even the octopus mayhap-have
been walIoped sufficiently for the time
being, and that a quieter and more placid
era is not undesirable. But we cannot
sail out OF the lghtnings and the gales
into sunshine and untroubled waters all
at once, so to speak. The precipitate
cessation of the laundering and the howl
ing OF the winds. and the sudden disap-
pearance Of the floating Wrecl1age. and all
Of that. will tend TO disconcert, if we are
not very careful.
Thus far the adverse critic Of the Taft
administration IS hard TO pin down to
specifications and details He views with
alarm without saying particularly what
he Is looking at. The truth is. he hardly
knows. He merely fears something; he
has a ''presentiment" OF evil. He is IN
able TO believe Immediately that good
government can be maintained without
a lot OF fireworks and loud noises. He
viii not say positively that Mr.. Tafts
administration has done many things that
fully apprehensive that It may.
II is evident that We shall have some
difficulty recovering poise and equilibrium
In this country. The mere fact that we
have entered upon more peaceful ways Is
sufficient to alarm the more nervous of
our patriotic contingent Because we
would eat at all of the tree Of con-
northumberland we have browsed be-
fore. II sometimes not wisely but too well,
indeed-we would gorge ourselves 10 IN
activity and Iaziness agafnl II does not
necessarily follow, of course. but our
distress OF mind VIII out for the moment,
nevertheless.
And so We are not yet through with
ultra-radiealism in its every aspect There
Is no real evidence at hand that the Taft
administration is to be reactionary: but
so long as suspicion may be cast upon
It, the agitators will remain more or less
conspicuous in the public eye. The people
at large are not to be led 10 condemn
because they may be made to imagine
that vain things may come TO pass. But
the great applause is not 70 be expected
nevertheless, until the Taft administration
makes it emphaticaIly and unanswerably
plain that It is not going backward-tha,
It Is, on the contrary. going forward, II
along less spectacular lines.
And until that last mentioned period
shall have arrived, occasional back from
Elba" and kindred outbreaks may be
expected.