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

act, and then. shortly, no enc was Sa,'
ished.
In the early days OF his administra
ton Lincoln was attacked. WASHING
ton had his detractors. and few ife Il
have had 20 meet steadier fire ri
criticism than Roosevelt, but each one
OF these pien had behind Elm a large
body 81 enthusiastic supporters. /,
would be difficult 10 find any sucn
group behind Mr.. Taft.
The plain fact r. that the country
knew next TO nothing at all about the
real Mr.. Taft Until after his election.
What then Is the real Mr.. Taft as
he is coming to lie known?
All his life long Mr.. TAFT has been
iDpressing the men he met with TIC
charm of his personality. In a high
degree MIR. Taft possesses that charm.
far more common among women thar
among men. OF personal charm. II II
high. rare, fine and sometimes dan.
gerous quality, dangerous, especially,
10 its possessor.
All through his life meh have liked
Mr. Taft and pushed him forward I;
Is singular 10 what a degree his al.
yancement has been due TO person al
ITltUNr Itab w lIf fNOBtts " -
to the time he was elected presiden;
he had never neld but one elective
office.
He was the select member OF his
family. No money and no effort were
too great to be gwen by he Taft
brothers when Bill was 10 be benz
fted and pushed forward.
He has advanced, not by the rough
,mpac. of powerful convictions iEl-
pressed upon an eager people, but e
fly and serenely by virtue Of the charm
Of his personality and his loyal frieni-
ships with those high in public life.
His policies are not his. but Roose-
velts; his poli'icr are not his, but
Hitchcock's; his views on conserva-
ton (Which are Pinchot's) are correct
enough. but he allows Ballinger 10
override him, at least temporarily.
In this upward pressure OF Taft by
his friends, one powerful element ha:
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 been 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 II should I've
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
bu. inexorably turning against him.
had to give over her darling dream OF
new kind Of American social life.
The situation possesses many OF the
tskens OF high tragedy.
Mr.. Tafts temperament Is OF the
KIND that requires settled authority
II does not stand straight OF itself for
ithas no stir backbone on inner con
vttions. All his life long he has been
laning on friends.
In a time like this. Of political dis
cGtent, with the old parties crumbling
away. Mr.. Tafts sort Is wholly out OF
pkce. We have heard nothing clear
nthing strong, from Mr.. Taft. When
lift entered the white house the
strong guiding personality OF Roose
yat was gone from behind him Where
sbuld he turn but to his personal
trends ?-his brothers. Charles P. 81
Cincinnati. and Henry w. OF New
Yrk, both very wealthy men, both
iterested In the great corporate inter.
cts of the county He turned to the