The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-06-21

too great to be given by he Taft
brothers when 1911 was TO be bene-
flied and pushed forward.
He has advanced, not by the rough
impact OF powerful convictions I'M
pressed upon an eager people, but cas-
lily and serenely by virtue OF the charm
of his personality and his loyal frienl-
slips with those high In public life.
His policies are not his. but Roose-
velt's; his politics are not his, but
Hitchcock's; his views on conserva'
ton (Which are s'inchot's) are correct
enough. but he allows Ballinger TO
override him. at least temporarily.
In this upward pressure OF Taft by
his friends, one powerful element has
not been sufficiently considered. That
Is Mrs. Taft, an ambitious woman
Mrs. Taft is immensely capable. as
keen as chilled steel, with an inherent
instinct for self-making. She has al
ways oeen noted for a certain fixity OF
purpose.
Mrs. Taft entered the white house
with the most ambitious plans. In an
article about her, at the time, she ap'
proved this statement, before publica-
ton:
she will make of her position and
The white house what IL should lie
made, the central force OF our national
life, real American society. built upon
intellect and thoroughly gentle demo
cratic lines"
Mr.. Taft saw the country slowly
but inexorably turning against him,
and Mrs. Taft, broken in health. has
had to give over her darling dream OF
a new kind OF American social life.
The situation possesses many OF the
tokens OF high tragedy.
Mr.. Taft's temperament is of the
kind that requires settled authority.
II does not stand straight OF itself for
IL has no stiff backbone on inner con
yictions All his life long he has been
leaning on friends.
In time like this, Of political dis
content, with the old parties crumbling
away, Mr.. Taft's sort is wholly out OF
place. We have heard nothing clear,
nothing strong, from Mr.. Taft. When
Taft entered the white house The
strong guiding personality of Roose-
welt was gone from behind him. Where
should he turn but to his personal
lFltHuS Ills 1HdIltS "a
Cincinnati. and Henry w. OF New
York. both very wealthy men, both
Interested in the great corporate inter-
ests OF the country. He turned 10 the
lawyers and judges he had known for
so long.
What he did not see was that the
thing he had entered upon was war
He turned his back upon his friends
who seemed to have real public view
Of the great questions of the day. Tn
der Roosevelt, ren would work their
heads OF. How quiet they are now.
CLAWS. fighting to save the peoples
lands Is discharged; Plnchot, one OF
the greatest public servants, is forced
out of Office; Garfield goes: DR.. Wiley
Is reversed; Shaw and Price pay the
penalty of enthusiasm, and Newell and
Davis. OF the reclamation service. are
saved, IL at all, only by the greatest
pressure.
The eternal NO, seems now 70
reign in Washington. Instead or try
ing to find out wins good thing should
be done for all the people II seems
10 be the policy Of Mr.. Wickersham.
Mr.. Ballinger and Mr.. Hitchcock to
find out all the reasons why it shoulc
not be done. Mr.. Taft decides not
upon what is right. but upon what he
thinks will satisfy all OF them. There,
by he satisfies No one.