The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-01-17
DOCTRINE OF FAIR PLAY.
Regard for Mr.. THft'S Splendid Past
should silence Feeling of Unrest.

SHOULD etttnt1 Di
From the Milaaukee Fress Press.
The attitude of a not gnappreeIable
number Of citizens here in the Middle
West toward President Taft is anything
but expressive Of the Anglo-Saxon ideal
Of fair play
The first year Of his administration,
with opportunity for accomplishing but
one thing. the revision of the tariff, is not
concluded, and yet we find a considerable
public sentiment which distrusts the
Presidents motives and doubts his pur-
poses.
probed To It's source. we find the accept
ance of the tariff by President Taft and
his desire 10 work through an effective
party Organization In Congress, as the
head and front Of all the evil imaginings
concerning him.
That he labored earnestly for the sort Of
tariff revision no has advocated, and that
his honest reason for not killing the pres
ent measure was the fear that such a
course would jeopardize his programme Of
reform legislation. seems to carry no
weight with the impatient citizen, coached
as he is by the creators Of suspicion and
unrest
Would It not have been the part Of
fairness TO permit the President time Tor
vlndication Of his policies during the large
balance of his administration rather than
20 Judge him by its initial chapter, whose
problem. that Of the tariff, was SO difficult
that 10 President has ever escaped its
| solution unscathed?
Would it not have been fairer to await
/ his attitude on the other great purposes
Of MS administration, purposes exceeding
| the revision Of the tariff in Importance
! before making a stumbling block out OF
public opinion merely because the Taft
method IS not Of the radical kind2
Would il not have been fairer 10 do this
/ in the light Of Mr.. Taft's past services e
! the people Of the nation. his acknowledged
! high character and large ability. and TN
confidence imposed in him by Theodore
/ Roosevelt?
We certainly think so. and we bellev
every fair-mlnded American must thinl
so. And all the more do We think 50 nov
al tFf TIE ENlfitL-L = 80 Hai NAAN e+A
roads and trusts, which sssUredly reyea
him In complete harmony with the mos
advanced desires Of the people and pro
pose remedies Of 50 practical and effectiT
nature for the evils considered as n
past Executive has ever devised.
The responsibility imposed on Presider
TAFT by the agitation and initiatory labo
Of the previous administration Is tremer
dous. and nothing could be more uufai
and beside the mark than 70 draw CON
PARSONS between him and Nj Roosevelt
The Roosevelt mission was not the Tai
mission. and the Roosevelt way is not th
Taft way. but that does not detTact fr0I
the legitimacy and efficacy OF the latter.
What any other man would do IN N
Tafts position is mere idle speculation
the important thing is whether the en-
! sought by min IS the right one and WheIf
{ er he can hope 10 reach it by his means.
. To us. as 90 most uuprejudiced Obser'
ers. the Taft way appears the best suite
10 the getting Of results-Wnich is I'll
mission of his administrauon-an ths
b evideutlyis what Roosevelt believed whe
DE backed him up FOR the Executive ofic'
BE that as it may. every considerable
Of fairness. deeengy, and regard for III
! mans splendid past should inhibit the e
. forts OF some and tie ngiinaUous OF oil
ers 10 bait the President at THIS time.
b Give him the chance he deserves. al
. we feel that the close Of his admnistr.
- tsor, will sea tna country united IN its 81
e probation of great Executive service.