The Greeley tribune., 1910-07-07
MIGHT AS WE'LL BE HONEST

cratic so long as the democratic
party is right. but that does not re-
ouire that we shall shut our eyes to
the good accomplishments of an Of
f1cer from another party.
President Taft, In the heated I'm
ish OF the sixty-first congress has
more real results to his credit than
Roosevelt won in his entire seven
years in the presidents chair.
President Roosevelt had at his
hand in the white house the most
powerful and far-reaching press
bureau ever organized and our daily
papers and magazines were simply
alive with the doings of the Big
Stick. But right up to the panic and
closing hours of Rooseyelt's admin
istration the reader may search in
vain for either congressional or ad-
ministrative accomplishments to
compare with the final finish of the
last congress. For seven years the
air was constantly disturbed with
reports as to what the Big Stick was
going to do or what the president
had directed his attorney general to
do, but as sum total of all the
threats and orders, not a great vio-
later of the law, either personal or
corporate, was made to suffer the
penalty for such violations and the
trusts and oppressive combinations
in restraint of trade daily increased.
till public confidence was SO dis
turbed that a panic practically clos
ed that actless administration.
In contrast President Taft, for
months a sad disappointment to
nearly all parties, seemed to take
seriously the demands of the repub-
lican national platform and in his
message laid those pledges before
congress. The Payne-Aldrich tar
i'll law was the first result. He un-
derstood the demand to mean a re-
duction of the tariff and expressed
dissatisfaction with the bill when
signing. thus shifting the RESPONSE
bility on the interests in congress
which thwarted the original purpose
Of the measure.
though a disappointment to very
many. does vastly increase the power
of the Interstate railway commission
toward making its orders for relief
effective.
1t was due to Taft that New Mex
leo and Arizona we're taken out of
the waiting list and given statehood.
Taft demanded tprobably influ-
enced by Bryan) publicity of cam
paign expenses; this he finally
forced through congress.
The postal savings bank was an
other republican demand (this also
aping democratic platforms of many
years).
In the face OF a most stubborn
banking opposition the bill was pass
ed and signed but not until after
some amendments had been attached
providing for pipeline for the de-
posits to get back to the monetary
cepters of the east. However, the
meas,fxe is a tremendous step in ad-
vance Ia encourage thrift and saw
ing among the people of small
means. and Fas really intended by
congress to foisstall the onward
march of the printiPle of bank guar
antee as demanded Ap the demo-
cratic platforms. This >xill work
great benefit to the people. by in
creasing their confidence Sn the
safety Of deposits through the Apostal
savings department and will REALLY
hasten the system Of state and nsS
tional bank guarantee, which tha
banks themselves will ultimately
have to adopt in very self defense
in order to keep our money at home
instead of being "pipe-lined" to Wall
street
Much OF the good accomplished
by Taft was of course secured by CO.
operation of the insurgent republic
cans with the democrats, but 1t
must yet be left to his credit that his
method really did accomplish the
enactments, in the face of some of
the most determined efforts of c0po-
rate interests ever exercised in
Washington. Tie divisions thus
have SO rent the republican party
that ii is alive with insurgency, and
will doubtless result IN the next con-
gress being democratic by hand
some majority.