Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-10-22

Two years ago this month William
II. Taft was asked by a leading mag
azine to write an article on the issues
Of the campaign. In complying he
said
To my mind the issues Of the campaign
are not different from those which arise
In every presidential election, towit
whether the work OF the existing admin
istration shall be approved by continuing
In power the same party. or shall be con-
demned by turning the administration Of
the country's affairs over 20 the demo-
cratic party.
While this is not a presidential
campaign. Mr.. Taft's words might APP
ply today with as much force as they
did in 1908. The present election
turns on national issues, on the funda-
mental proposition as stated above
But in 1908 Mr.. Taft did not take
simply the administration of Presi-
dent Roosevelt as the basis Of the re-
publican party's appeal; he took it in
conjunction with that of President
Mckinley And so today the appeal
Of the republican party to the sanity
and intelligence of this country must
rest upon the record Of Mckinley,
Roosevelt and Taft. The record for the
last fourteen years is continuous
chain of progress and development,
every link of which is a tangible, pos
tive act. To be sure, there is enough
of good in his own administration to
commend the party to the voters this
fall, but a fair and comprehensive
view must take in all
No party ever accomplished as much
in the same length Of time. 1t took
charge Of the government in the midst
of disaster and failure. Then new and
large problems began to multiply.
With a crippled machinery Of state,
distressed people and a partially
! paralyzed industry, the republican
party under William Mckinley began
its work of reconstruction. First
came the Spanish war, which was sue
cessfully conducted. then the estab-
lishment Of the Cuban government
the Philippine war and the suppress
sion of the rebellion. the establish.
ment of peace and order in the
islands, and finally, under President
Roosevelt, the use OF the influence
abroad thus gained was devoted to the
promotion Of peace between Japan
and Russia, the settlement of the Cen.
trail American wars and the formine
of closer bonds between South Ameri
can republics. Under Roosevelt anC
then Taft we proceeded to the solu
ton of varied and intricate domestic
problems, such as the elaboration OF
the reclamation of arid land, the en-
actment of pure food and meat in
spectiOn laws, enlargement Of tn,
navy reorganization and improve
ment of the army, better labor anC
railroad legislation and the monu
mental world task Of undertaking tn,
building Of the Panama canal, OF
which rapid progress is being made
Passing over hundred and NOR,
other important transactions in behal
of the general public, we come to tn
tariff, which, on the whole must b
conceded to be a substantial improve
ment over what we had before. /
must be remembered that these four
teen years Of activity began when tn
country was in the throes Of the PAM
of the Gorman-Wilson tariff, repudi
ated by the democrats themselves
We will obtain further tarin revision
along more scientific lines only If Tn
t republican party is returned to power
I No party has ever gone before tn
people Of this country with so power
full an appeal. It remains to be see
whether 1t will be rejected for the ar
peal to passion and prejudice, mad
by the democracy with nothing but
record of negation to support II.