The Washington herald., 1910-09-05
Taft and Roosevelt.

4aIL anu 1OOSeYelLs
The Philadelphia North American Sat
urday. in a remarkable editorial entitled
THE False Friend" replied in somewhat
vehement rhetoric to comments in numer-
Gus newspapers upon Roosevelts treat
rnent Of President Taft as rngrateful and
disloyaL Not a few newspapers have
construed his silence as worse than open
hostility" and one has called It brutal
treachery."
After reviewing some OF the circum.
stances Of Taft's nomination for Presi.
dent and pointing out that newspapers
and men who opposed it are those now
arraignlng Roosevelt, the North American
proceeds 70 give what purports to be somt
specific causes of the breach between
Roosevelt and Taft. Summed UP. accord.
ing to this editorial, the causes are these
That. believing the best monument
10 his administration would be his
awakening Of the American people %
the gospel Of conservation" he de-
sired and asked the retention in the
Cabinet OF James r. Garfield. whom
he knew 20 be honestly and unselhshly
devoted to the good new doctrine:''
and, though this was all he asked be-
fore he sailed away, It was denied, as
the interests needed Ballinger"
That since his return. he has learn
ed that before he was fairly at sea
"Ballingerism was installed in place Of
honest conservation. and every one OF
his extreme personal antagonists OBJ
trusively made welcome at the White
House. Cannon was exalted TiIlman
made the recipient Of especial favor"
That among the earliest guests Of
honor at the White House under the
new regime "were the man and wife
whose absurd self-assertion and breach
Of personal confidence had made
farce OF American diplomacy and en-
barrassed greatly Mr.. Taft's friend
and predecessor referring, Of course,
10 the Bellamy Storers.
That he Learned that the most loyal
adherents Of the work he began had
been either dismissed from the public
service or frozen out meaning Gift
ford Pinchot ct al
That Mr.. Taft had altered an itIn-
erary and affronted the popular senti-
ment Of the State OF Minnesota and
espoused the cause Of Tawney. so vio-
lent an enemy of all that Roosevelt
had stood for that II had been neces-
sary TO stigmatize his devious methods
specifically in a Presidential message"
That when a corporation tool. Nc
Harg, in a government department.
had INDUCED in such billingsgate
against Roosevelt that in common de-
cency President Taft was compelled 10
call for his resignation" he boosted
that he had resigned before he spoke
and was Immediately given "a place
paying twice his former salary" the
holding Of that place OF profit from
Indian lands being subject 20 the ap-
proval Of the national administration.
That he learned upon his return that
credit was being claimed for every
semblance Of legislative progress
along the lines Of the Roosevelt poll
cies. and that every such advance had
been forced reluctantly as amend
ments by a tricky and vicious admin
istration bill"
Concluding the North American saws
we leave It TO our readers to reckon
by those facts which is the true frien,
and which the false. We suggest merel,
that frequently silence is charity"
There are specific reasons for disbe
lieving that ample warrant is TO be foun,
in any or all OF the causes thus assigne,
for Roosevelt's break with Taft. assum
ing that there is a break.
II the President chose TO make up
his own Cabinet and not retain Mr.
Garfield, his choice. at any rate fell
upon a Roosevelt official Of demon
strated capacity as Commissioner. Of
the General Land Office. and IN whom
Roosevelt expressed the highest con-
fidence. This refers to the now much
abused Ballinger
II he chose to entertain the Bellany
Storers at the White House. that was
because they were old Cincinnati
friends, and certainly he could not
be expected TO perpetuate a Roosevelt
personal feud.
II he exalted Cannon, he exalted him
only as Roosevelt had exalted him by
comforting with him touching House
legislation.
II Thlmaa was made the recipient
Of especial favor, it was only the espe-
cial favor uniformly extended by the
White House to a United States
Senator.
II he dismissed or froze out clifford
Pinehot 1t was only after earnest per-
sonal effort to retain his services
and after all other means Of restoring
peace had been exhausted.
II he espoused the cause Of Tawney.
1t was only in the way Roosevelt
espoused the cause Of Cannon when
politics made II expedient to do so.
If, latter the resignation Of Assistant
Secretary McHarg. he secured a more
remunerative position. subject to the
approval OF the national administra-