The Washington times., 1911-08-29
TAFT AS A PRACTICAL POLL
TICIAN.

sible score in the game of practical
politics when he published the famous
Norton patronage letter. For year
before it was put out the Administra-
tion had been doing everything possible
in a quiet, unostentatious manner to
break the progressives in his party. He
had withdrawn their patronage, ignored
them in party councils, and without be-
ing SO offensive as to arouse the hos
tility of their friends had employed
all the authority of his Administration
to prevent their denominations.
But it had been done rather skill
fully, without brass band effects, and
in fashion which left the progressives
always at a disadvantage. They were
given no chance, to catch the Admins
tration in an overt act. That the
President was actually trying to en-
compass the defeat of members of his
own party was beyond the belief of
most people, who, at distance from
Washington, did not realize the in
tensity of the factional feeling here. 1t
was commonly believed that the Presi-
dent, as head OF his party, was a big
enough man to differ on details with
some of his associates Without under
taking deliberately to wreck them, and
with them the party.
The President did not need to admit
what was admitted in the Norton let
ter; and had he never printed that
letter a vast majority of people would
have considered that the progressives
were complaining unreasonably.
Then came the Norton letter, admit
ting all the progressives had charged,
and more.
1t was a sensation. 1t disclosed to
the nation how deep and bitter was
the feeling. 1t convinced every friend,
admirer, and supporter of the insur-
gents that they must be sustained to
the uttermost, else the Administration
would crush out the movement which
they represented.
The result of carrying that convic-
tion to the country was writ large in
the figures that brought the election
results of last November. The Republi-
can party, utterly unable to sustain it.
self when thus divided, collapsed. But
its progressive wing came back with
handsome testimonial of vindication
by the States and districts which had
chance to vote on that issue.
1t was execrably bad politics, this
admission by the President of his cool
purpose to drive a great, powerful
force out of his party. But it was
not so bad as the politics the President
is now launching. He is starting from
the very beginning with proclamation
of his intention to fight the progress
sives. Nobody will be fooled, this time
Nobody will suspect that the progress
sives are seeing things" nobody will
persist in conviction that the President
is too big" or too wise" deliberately
to split his party wide open on the
eve of a national convention and ma
tional election.
For the President has announced that
very purpose. He is going West to
fight the progressives in their own
country He seems utterly oblivious,
or utterly reckless, of the fact that the
progressives ARE the party in that
country. He is going to indict a COM
munity, to drive a party out of itself.
The President couples together the
names of Underwood and La Toilette,
and excoriates them jointly and sever
ally for their efforts to get some tariff
legislation. He could not have chosen
more effective means to array ALL
tariff revisionists against himself. Un-
derwood has made good. He has earned
the confidence of the. country. He has
proved sense, sanity, and courage. La
Toilette has been willing to work with
him, forgetting partisanship in the
effort to get results.
Taft has vetoed the product of their
Joint effort, and now denounces them
without stint for the effort.
1t can have only one effect. Every
body in the country who believes in
tariff reform must now recognize that
the face of Taft is set against all sug-
gestion of that policy. No Democrat
can mistake, no Republican progressive
can err.
All the Democrats are for tariff re-
vision, and millions of Republicans.
Mr.. Taft bundles them all together as
malefactors and takers; denounces
them as insincerely playing politics.
Very well; they will be compelled to
take his word for it. He has told
them, all at once, just what he thinks
of them. They cannot possibly mis-
understand. He has concealed nothing,
as he did a year ago when he SOUGHT