Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-10-05
Editorial Comment.
Not a Commonplace Speech.
Boston Transcript

President Taft's speech at the BAN
ouet OF the National Republican
League in New York comes in appar-
|ently for limited comment as com
pared with the amount his keynote
letter. enlisted. So far as can be
made out. the consensus of opinion IS
that he has said little more in his
speech than in his long epistle to
Congressman Mckinley OF the
congressional Republican committee.
This Judgment does not appear to be
sustained by careful reading OF
what the President said and by
thoughtful weighing of his assertions
and his Implications. Within the
limitations his view of party eX-
pediency imposed, he exhausted
his treatment of the tariff ques-
ton in his earlier outlying. the tar
if is now uppermost in pubic
thought. and is the object of quite as
much hysterical attack as historical
opinion. The omission of any elabo-
rate discussion of revision past or TO
| be expected therefore, may have in
duced many reader to put aside the
speech as lacking in attention TO the
issues of the day. Such disposition
does injustice to the President and
NAV leave the reader ignorant OF the
| fact that the President lntimateS that
one of our reforms" has already gone
so far that there is grave doubt in his
mind whether it can go further IN It's
present direction without endanger-
ing the commercial wellbeng of the
nation. Besides this intimatiOn among
the live topics" of the address is the
proposal for sweeping extension OF
the classified service SO that it may
comprehend positions which are now
among the great prizes of politics.
There could be no more distinct
echo of the doubt which is in the
mnds of many economists of the wis
dom of giving the Federal Govern
ment so great an extension of author
lity over transportation as it has re-
ceived, than is found and prerogatives
| Of the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion: 1.-The discretion of the Commits
sioners, not within judicial control
| by repeal, is now very wide and
| they have in their hands for the
veal or wos of general business
power that sometimes makes one
tremble.' An economic author
| ity of high standing has asserted that
| in all our history no Federal agency
has been accorded a degree of power
equalling that with which the Com
mission has been vested by the latest
legislation. The President seems to
be in accord with this opinion, and
his speech gives earnest of an in
tentiOn to see that as far az with
him lies the membership of the Com
mission shall not be controlled by
dangerous radicalism. Certainly this
portion of the Presidents speech can
not be dismissed as commonplace.
The recommendation that collectors
of customs, collectors of internal rev.
enue, etc, be brought within the clas-
sified service is certain to challenge
attention and equally certain to pro-
woke opposition. To enable it to be
put in practice, the United States
Senate must adopt a self denying or
dinance similar to that which under
lies in effect the British evils service
be attained only by change of poll
teal heart equivalent to a constitu-
tiOnal revolution. Whatever the pub
lie may think of the practicability of
the reform advocated by the Presi-
dent, it can but admire his courage
and admit that speech which carries
with it so important a declaration of
faith is not to be dismissed as COM
monplace