Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1911-01-10
TAFT BREAKS
AWAY FROM
old GUARD
Resolves to Steer His Own
Course in 1911.
Shows His Hand in LOrlmGr Case.
Said to Be Leaning on Roosevelt
Again---S taRd-PdtteFS No More TO
Govern Policies.

Washington, January president
Taft has come to the conclusion that
during the next two years it would be
a good idea to be president of the
United States without the advice of
members of the party who forced
themselves upon him with the view to
shaping his course and policy so that
it would be in accord with their
own.
President Taft, it can be stated on
the best OF authority, has decided that
he has been badly advised, and that
much criticism has been due to the
fact that he needed the advice of re-
publican leaders who convinced him
that this, that and other things ought
to be done because of political expe-
diency. The president traces this IN
sound advice to the early days of his
administration when he accepted the
judgment of such men as AIdricn,
Payne, Dalzell and other stand-patters
on the Payne-Aldrich tariff bill, as
against his own judgment.
His Views Modified.
The president has been forced to
modify his views on that subject very
materially. His resolution also was
prompted by the advice of stand-pat-
ters at time when the insurgents in
both branches of congress We're ready
to line up with the president in favor
of popular progressive legislation. The
president was induced to cut loose
from this element and to even go so
far as to deprive them of patronage in
their districts in an attempt to make
them act in harmony with the views
of the regulars. The president has
since seen the error of that move and
acknowledged it when he restored the
patronage in the closing days of the
congressional campaign.
Perhaps the one thing more than all
else which convinced the president of
the adyisability of cutting loose from
tie republicans who have heretofore
had his ear was his review of his ac-
tiOns, which were free suggestions and
advice, particularly in the matter of
his judicial appointments. The presi-
Gent early made it known that his
judicial appointments would be made
without regard to party politics, and
that ability would be the sole consid-
GRAFTON. The president never has
dcViated from that policy, and the re-
suit has been that his judicial appoint
me, ts have been uniformly we'll re-
ceiyee throughout the country.
Reviews His Course.
In reviewing the first half of his adj
ministratiOn, the president reached
the conclusion that had he followed
his own judgment in all matters of
partp policy, as was the case in ap-
pointing judges, he would have es-
capped much of the criticism directed
at him, and that his administration
would be far more popular through
ont the country than it is today
One evidence of the presidents de-
t, " nation to cut loose from the
old guard" in the senate is found in
his determination to have light
thrown on the Lorimer case The
leaders in the senate were anxious to
hush up the Lorimer scandal, and for
time it seemed that they were in q
fair way to succeed, counting an
President Taft to keep hands Off.
| It developed, however, that consider
able portion of the correspondence be-
tween President Taft and Colonel
Roosevelt has had to do with the Lor-
inner case. In one of his letters Col.
| Roosevelt is known to have declared
that it would be an outrage for the
oVhdtS ~ dCCell lhe report Oh Ine COM
mittee on Privileges and Elections,
and he urged the president to use his
influence to have the matter threshed
out on the floor of the senate That
the president has finally decided to 10
this is the first visible evidence of his
determination to act independently of
the wishes of the senate leaders