Omaha daily bee., 1911-02-14
ALDRICH PRAISES
PRESIDENT TAFT

enemy Of wrong Lincoln never side
stepped or evaded q duty. He did not hes
itate to change the order Of things II by so
doing better conditions and liberties would
be the result. As the first president of
the great republican party, he was met
At the threshold OF his national career
I with a struggle to preserve the union, and
In the battle in which he was the COM
mander-in-ohief, his guiding star was to
broaden every mans opportunity He did
! not hesitate to break down old barriers
that were IN the way OF progress. The
battle Of his life was to keep open and
unrestricted the pathway OF individual op-
| portunity The conservative, that indivd-
ual, who stands for an old order Of things,
| who looks upon the past with sacred APP
prevail and kicks at every advancement
and every change has from Iincoln's day
down to the present time been shouting
Go slow or you will hurt business; you
are too radical; you are too dangerous; =
and all Of this in the face Of the fact that
radioalism has always, in its best sense,
builded whore II destroyed. in fact con-
| structive radicalism is progressive repub-
| licanism because progressive republicanism
10 today waging q war for better laws and
better conditions. II is fighting to let the
is simply seeking to destroy that which
ought to be destroyed and to build that
| which ought to be built II does not
tear down, save and only where things
ought TO be torn down. Abraham LIN
| coins progressive republicanism Killed
slavery and secession. and through their
| ruins II reared amonument that Is an Inn
perial federation Of union and liberty.
Progressive republicanism Is today waginE
war to preserve this government in the
hearts Of its people with all the energy
and patriotism that it's people are capable
OF and in so doing Il is wasing a fight to
take this government out Of the hands OF
Wall street
Problems of Government.
This ever has been and always will be
the problem of the government, that is to
so legislate and to so manage and execute
/ our laws so that none can be so high as
to be above the law and none so low as
to be below 1t. The problem Of the gov
eminent Is equality Of opportunity for ali
and special privilege for none. This is the
pure philosophy of progressive republican,
ism. We say that no corporation has any
| right to have a man In the halls of con
sress or in a state legislature, or to have
governor in any state, because that
|
terests and by special interests with thC
result that the special interests would re-
ceiev all Of the benefits and the people
none. The fundamental laws of this land
make II unnecessary for any special in.
| terest to have a special representative In
any legislature or executive department oil
| state because the judicial department oi
the state viii nullify and declare uncon.
stitutional any law that takes property
without due process Of law, or that com.
pels any party or corporation to do bust.
ness at loss. In other words any bust.
ness enterprise or corporation is ever safe
at the hands of the people because tha
people are on the square. and any business
enterprise or great corporation that is or
the square the people will treat as theil
friend The people therefore are only pro,
gressiys republicans, and progressive re.
publieans are to be found in the demo
cratic party, and progressive democrats
may be found in the republican party
| There is today In the two great dominat
Ing parties OF this nation q majority thai
stands essentially for the same thing anc
want the same results; we are therefor,
In this situation today that il either OF
the great parties Of this nation stands foi
principles and policies OF government tha
are antRgonisic to this class that party
VIII be repudiated and on the other hand
II the republican party Is true to tn,
teachings OF its first great president anC
stands in principle and in theory Of righ
and wrong where he stood there can DOS
sibly be no question about results
Taft a Wise Leader.
in the new lines of formation in tn,
political struggle for strategic position
/ nHAn aaofNF
vancing because II is aggressive, becaus,
II does not hesitate 70 assume new re
sponsibilities and advance new things ant
apply new remedies. and in all of this Il
10 not experimental because it makes ant
will make sane and reasonable application
OF old and true principles to new condi
tons. Progressive republioanism will no
be swept away from It's moorings by tn,
hysteria of some transient wave Of public
opinion, because its leadership today Il
guided by the unerring Interpretation o.
the signs and conditions and the hopei
and inspirations OF the uneounted millions
OF American citizens, This Leadership
knows its duty and has the courage Il
legislate for the many rather than for tn,
few. No better illustration Of this lattel
position Is anywhere TO be found than tn,
attitude now assumed by President Taft
and l congratulate him from the bottom
OF my heart that he has at last assumed
that aggressive individual atitudt which
the progressive republicans OF this natlor
have been praying that he would assum,
in the beginning OF HE administration.
The progressive reciprocity treaty with
Canada and this country 10 the essence Of
genuine republication as originally advo
Gated by that brilliant champion OF thl,
doctrine, James g. Blaine, and let us hon,
that President Taft will wage an uncom
promising fight using all the resources II
the power OF his position TO give 20 thi,
country free trade relations between Can
ada and the United States / am convinced
and morally certain that unless some suot
action as this is taken and protective duty
Withdrawn from commodities that have NJ
longer any need OF a protective tariff tina
principle must forever perish from thi,
country, The proposition is In suhstanc,
to have free trade relations with oui
brother and kin In, the north; and VIII,
should we mol hayofJ We are people OF In,
| same If fha aapna -