Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1910-04-21

assault upon the tariff is likely to re-
suit in the election OF democrat c
house OF representatives next fall.
That will make sure that the next two
years OF the Taft administration will be
do-nothing years.
At the present session OF congress
the administration is trying to make a
creditable showing of Legislation in
compliance with platform pledges. The
only actual accomplishment of import
ance now in sight is the amendment OF
the interstate commerce law. That
measure is likely to be passed, al
though its failure remains possibility.
II passed the anti-Taft element ia the
republican party will give the admins
tration no credit for it. Already it
has. written into the record the allega
tion that the bill as it came from the
administration was bad. II there is
much good in it when adopted, it will
be alleged that it was put there in spite
of the Taft leadership rather than be-
cause of it. There seems to be dis.
position to block all the other Taft
measures Suppose, what is quite pos
sible. the present session should close
with only the tariff bill and The inter-
state commerce bin enacted, and the
party should then lose its control OF
congress. The party under the leader
ship OF Taft would have to go into the
campaign of 1912 with slender stock
OF ammunition. Democrats and insur-
gents would be found joining in argu
ments that the tariff was rotten and
must be changed at once. Democrats
and Insurgents would be agreeing that
the interstate commerce bill was part
bad and part good, and that all the
good was due to insurgent and demo-
cratic vigilance in overcoming the
Vaccinations of the administration. | n
such circumstances what world be the
prospect for a Taft republican victory
in 1912?
Sooner or later President Taft will
have to consider seriously the question
OF the future leadership of the republi
can party. The president i. the lead
er of his party today and must con
tinue in that relation for the next three
years. He did not ask for the COM
mission. 1t was thrust upon him in
the line of duty, on the theory that he,
better than any other man, could har-
monize the already discordant elements
in the party and carry TO completion
the unfinished busiEess of The Roase-
velt administration. So far President
Taft has not harmonized the discordant
elements of his party. The blame for
the failure is not his. He has pointed
the way. His leadership has been
openly opposed and in some instances
scornfully repudiated. II his admins
tration is to end with little done to the
popular satisfaction, and the party split
wide open, who then will be able to
convince President Taft that it is his
patriotic duty to continue the effort al
Leadership?
The republican party must follow
thu leadership of President Taft, and
do the work cut out for it, or must be
prepared to 60 to defeat in 1912. De-
feat will be re asonably certain under
any other leadership but Taft's, and
success with Taft will be possible only
at the end of o success sful administra-
tiop. The republican party needs har'
mony more than it needs anything else
1t needs it before the close of the pres.
ent sessioo of congress. Sioux City
| T0ypno1