The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-04-01
Disappointment with Taft.

Samuel c. Blythe, in an article entitled
'Tnsurgent Indiana" in the Saturday
Evening Post. says that the Republicans
out there ARE on the war path n a
prudent. Hoosier way"
Unlike the Kansans, who. when they
insurge 'insurge all over" the Indiana
Republicans. he says, 'fnsurge with cir
eumspectlon. throwing no hts, but stick
ing 10 it until the fateful end"
Analysing the feeling toward Mr.. Taft
in this crisis, Mr.. Blythe writes:
"They speak Of the President in IN
diana about as a father would speak of
son who has been disobedient. There are
no attacks on him. There are no asper-
sions except among the most radical.
Everybody is disappointed, and says so
IN the kindliest manner without how
ever, cloaking the disappointment at all.
/ was not able to gather exactly what
the Indiana Republicans expect or eX-
pected the President to do. It was usu-
ally expressed 10 me that he ought TO do
something.
The feeling Mr.. Blythe describes is not
confined TO Indiana It is widespread. It
is in evidence East and West. Yet it is
impossible to find out what the people
expect or expected the President to do"
that he has not done or is not doing.
The demand that he do something"
carries the implication that ne is doing
nothing, whereas, as a matter of fact. no
President in the first year OF his term
ever labored more steadfastly, strove
more earnestly, or applied himself more
diligently to accomplish the work intrust-
ed to him than has Mr.. Taft
The President does not make the laws,
nor does he create the leaders in Congress,
with whom he is brought into relation.
AS a jurist. Nj Taft doubtless deplores,
and deplores deeply, as does every thought
ful man, legislation by Executive au-
1hority-a tendency contrary TO the
spirit of the republic and out OF keeping
with our system of government as orig
inally and wisely planned But he is
urging upon Congress. as he has been
urging upon it from the day he assumed
Office, the Importance of fulfilling his
partys pledges. He is cooperating with
the legislative body toward that end. Can
a President reasonably be expected TO
do more?
He might preach and scold and threaten.
and fly into an occasional passion. and
put the lawmakers In a beIligerent. hos
tile mood. Perhaps that is what 'Insur-
gent Indiana" means when it demands
that he do something" But would this
hasten the desired contamination? Would
such a course serve any other purpose
than to retard administration measures
further?
Recall what Roosevelt said a few short
months ago: Taft will give you a better
administration than mine, for he viii be
able TO build deliberately where I have
had to play the pioneer and clear the
ground Is it pioneering that is wanted
anew? And was Roosevelt mistaken in
saying that Taft's mission was to build.
and build deliberately? Surely thee is
the public necessity of deliberate con-
structiye work.
unrest, the dissatisfaction. and the disap-
pointment But, after all, would a better
kind of tariff-a greater revision down
ward-have made Mr.. Tafts lot one
whit the easier? We doubt it. Certainly
it would not have cured forthwith the
countrys ills, real and imaginary.
AS we view the situation. Indiana con.
ditions being typical. the explanation OF
it all is that the country at present is in
a fault-fnding mood. dlsinclined to be
pleased with anything It is a mood to
which the country Is subject at intervals.
TO the confusion of the party In power
It has developed in greater or less de-
gree at some stage of every adnninistra-
ton. It plays sad havoc politically as a
general rule. and we have not the
shadow Of a doubt It win play havoc with
the careers OF a good many of our states
men. insurgents. regulars. and Democrats.
too. at the election in November next.
The country rallied at Cleveland in fault
finding mood; It withheld from Harrison
commentator justly due; It manifested
disappointment with Mckinley, who lived
it down; it fiared up against Roosevelt at
various times.
But the country invariably RECEIVERS
from such a mood-becomes fair and
square IN the end, In its measurement of
men and measures: and so Mr.. Taft and
his party may we'll count themselves
fortunate that their troubles have de-
veloped thus early in the game.
The administration is young, and 1912
two years of.