Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1911-10-11
SPECIAL WASHINGTON CORES
PoNpENCE,
By CLYDE H, Tavenner.

SPECIAL WASHINGTON FcoR2Es-
PoNDENcE.
BY Clyde H. Tavenner.
taft is all right personally, but
the Taft smile can never be a suf-
ficient answer the Taft tariff blund-
ers."
The President went into the West
to ask the people what they thought
of his administration and the answer
that the westerner gives. Mr.. Taft's
friends in the West---and they all are
friends when he is among them pat
him on the back and tell him ne
is all right when he visits them. He
is the President Of all the people
and no community, especially If it
is in the West, will permit it to be
said that President of the United
States, be Taft or any body else,
could visit there without being shown
every hospitality.
What the people say to the Pres
ident when he is in their midst and
what they think of him after he is
gone are two different matters.
This is being demonstrated now
by one Of the Chicago newspapers
(The Tribune )which,instead OF send
ing its correspondent along with the
President, is requiring him to travel
two or three days in the wake of the
Presidential train, in an effort to get
the real opinions of the people after
the usual buster Of the Presidential
visit has vanished, and the people
are settled into their accustomed at
titude. 5s
Most Of the men interviewed by
this correspondent, and he is making
lit point to ask all the classes OF
individual citizens what effect Presi
dents visit had on community. ex'
press an opinion similar to one civ.
en- above. They admit that they en-
Ijoyed seeing the President which
is an opportunity that comes to some
Americans only once in a life TINS
and sometimes not that often-bu1
the great majority of them Went
back to the Taft signature to tbs
Payne-Aldrich bill, and the Taft veto
OF the Democratic revision downward
bills Of special session, when they
were asked for their real opinion o.
the President
Although this correspondent has in
terviewed hundreds OF men SO fa1
on his journey it is significant tina
only a scattering few, less than
half dozen all told, have come out viz
lently and enthusiastically for him
In mos. OF the cases it was the opin
| ion of the person interviewed tina
Taft, was doomed to defeat next year
or that it would be best to give hin
few more months in which to- max
good his promises. None endorse
j his administration uneQuivocally.
1t developed, too, that a great man
men,in all walks Of life,candidly ad
mitted that next year they propose'
to vote for Democratic president, no
withstanding they always before ha'
voted for a republican. A great man!
4 these referred to the magnificien
.ecord Democrats made in Congress
asst season and frankly admitted
that since the Democrats had. showl
real ability to govern and govern
well, it was no more than their due
that they should be given greater re
sponsibility.
If President Taft really wants t.
know what the Western people think
II him it will pay him to discount thu
high sounding platitudes he hears a
the banquets he attends. and read the
opinions OF these citizens who pass
Judgment on him after he is gone
not while he is their guest.
That the Democrats in Congress
are VetcEulucO " put IL A0A~SS-eA 49,
structive program Of legislation is
indicated by the present action OF
the House Committee on Expendl
lures in the postoffice department
This committee, of which William E.
Ashbrook of Ohio is chairman, is
pressing the most comprehensive in
vestigation every undertaken by q
congressional committee having to
do with postoffice affairs, and by the
time Congress convenes in December
the committee expects to present
facts and figures on which the law
makers can base just and tntelli-
gent estimate OF what should be done
to make the postal service efficient
and economical
AS part of this investigation Mr..
Ashbrook's clerks are sending to
each publisher throughout the coun-
try a set OF blanks to be filled out
They are being requested to make
known to the committee just how
much mail they handle, and in what
shape it is handled. The blanks re-
quire them to state how much of the
mail is carried by express, freight,
mail and by the individual carriers.
The purpose of this is to reach an
intelligent estimate of what a prop
er rate would be for second class
matter, which comprises the bulk OF
he postal business. The committee
S convinced that the Hughes COM
appointed year ago by
President Taft to investigate the