The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-10-19
TAFT ON THE STUMP
By SAW oYARD

Washington, October 1S-(special)- The President of the United States is 'swingiing around the circle" in the enemies country and his future polit- lical career will depend on the success | of his mission, which may be defined as an attempt to bridge the lurid chasm that separates Aldrichism and LaFol- letteism As a rule swings around the circle by our great men have not been attended with much profit. stephen A. Douglas invented the practice when he was a candidate for president in 1860. | In that campaign he addressed more Of | his fellow citizens than any other | American had heretofore spoken to, | but he failed, as Seymour did eight years later when he took the stump in his own behalf. | Andy Johnson. when President, | swung around the circle and made fervid appeals to the people to indorse | his policy as against that of Stevens and Sumner but one of his speeches was basis for an article of impeach-
 ment and the electroate utterly repu- diated him. American eloquence does
 not furnish anything equal to the won derful pleas Horace Greedy made for
 amity and amnesty in 1872, but he was
 the worst beaten candidate for Presi-
 dent that year in our history.
 |
 | Garfield was the first presidential candidate who was elected after taking l the stump to plead his cause, and he
 would have been disastrously defeated
 had Tilden been his competitor, and he
 would have been defeated even by Han
 cock if Grant and Conlsling had not come to his rescue. In 1881 Blaine made the most brilliant stumping tour of our history. surpassing Douglas, or
 Bryan, but he was beaten, as was Bryan in 1896, 1900 and 1908.
 Cleveland during his first term swung around the circle and was beaten for reelection, and Harrison repeated that | history While President he penetrated | to the Pacific slope and made a series l of wonderfully apt and happy addresses, | but when nominated for reelection in | 1892 he was overwhelmingly defeated. l Tn 1896 Mckinley. did Harrison had | done in 1888, addressed great crowds | that came from distance to hear him from his front porch. Of all our itinerant statesmen Roosevelt was the
 most successful He was constantly on the stump and during his tenure of office he was the most popular man who ever held the Presidency of the
 republic, not excepting Washington, or Jackson, or Lincoln And yet as an orator he was not to be mentioned in
 association with Andy Jackson even, certainly not with Douglas, or Blaine, or Bryan.
 Roosevelt was one of the few Presi- dents who dictated their successors. Washington himself preferred IIaml- ton as his successor to Adams. Jeffer- son dictated his successor, and so did Jackso but Grant failed to choose his. Lincoln, had he lived and triumphed in a struggle with the radicals, Sumner, Stevens and the others, would have been powerful enough to dictate to his party in 1868.
 Had Roosevelt been neutral Taft would not have been tie nominee of his party in 1908. Cortelyou would have swept the platter. He and his lieuten- ant, Hitchcock, had nearly completed the most perfect political machine the country ever saw. John sherman had a fine machine when he was Secretary of the Treasury, and it would have nom mated him if there had been no move ment to give General Grant a third term. but the Sherman forces were as raw militia to splendid veterans com pared with the squad that was ap- pointed to nominate Cortelyou. Roose- welt an admirable politician, saw how it was, and scratched the name of his
 Secretary of the Treasury off the string
 of entries.
 Taft fell heir to Roosevelt's dignity, bo pursue Roosevelts policies, whatever they were but it takes the hand of Ulysses to bend the bow of Ulysses. All the seven years of Teddy it was a breach of good manners to mention the word tariff in official circles. It was thoroughly understood that the President was tariff reformer. all right He had preached free trade in his writings, but when he took on him. self the official responsibility he let