The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-07-10
FRIGHTENED oFFrcEHoLDERs

The officebolders who arc so dos.
perately afraid OF losing their Jobs
| should have their fears realized ont of
hand. whom they take such frantic
steps As to even consider the purpose
OF asking President Taft TO get off the
ticket The President is the duly nomi.
mated candidate of his party, made so
by the regular Republican National
Convention. The officeholders are
nothing in this matter at all, they
nave no functions. no authority to 10
or declare anything The regularly
constituted authority of the party has
acted, and that authority is not only
competent, but exclusive. When the
National Convention acts. that ends
all controversy in the party, for party
men These officcholdcrs who are un-
dertsking to meddle in the party af-
fairs to the extent of overruIing the
National convention, should be invited
to step out of their offices at once,
and their room should be supplied by
men who at least have some idea of
the limitations and proprieties Of Of
ficeholding.
Quite in accordance with this view
is the action Of President Taft in call
ing for the resignation OF Robert &.
Valentine, Commissioner Of Indian Af-
fairs. whose resignation was asked by
the President because of his disloyalty
to the action of the party and to the
administration. 1t appears that the
President came to the conclusion some
time ago, and determined to act upon
that conclusion after the nominations
of the National convention had been
made, that several bureau chiefs whose
loyalty 10 his interests was question
able. should be removed from office.
One weakness Of President Taft g
has been his retention
in office OF persons who were not only
disloyal to him, but to the heads of
their departments, and who occupied
their time altogether too much in stir
ing up strife, rather then attending TO
the duties Of their offices. 1t must be
admitted, also, that some Of the Cabi-
net officers have been far from helpful
to the President in his political for
tunes. President Taft must know that
Secretary Wilson has been a drag upon
him, and the cause Of deep dissatis-
faction, almost as much so as Pinchot
was during the time that the President
Pinchot's presence in office;
and when we consider these officials as
a whole. not especially in view of their
loyalty to the President, but rather on
the point Of their absolute inability TO
help in their respective States, we see
at once the political weakness that has
been extremely prejudicial to his cause
He has two Cabinet officers from Hi
nois, neither of whom cut any figure
in politics, or could help him In any
way; and other Cabinet officers arc
Illinois; they are never heard Of as
political factors Yet this might be
overlooked if they were especially
strong and triumphant in the conduct
Of their departments; but here. also,
there has been weakness, revolt, in
surrection. and pulling at cross pur-
poses. There has been altogether too
much confusion and turbulence in some
Of the departments, to the disgust of
the people, and it is surprise among
President Taft's friends that he has
tolerated in his Cabinet persons Of such
weak timber.
However, if he Will now wake up to
the necessity of strengthening his posi-
tion. and at the same time enforce har-
mony and good teamwork in the diff.
ferent departments from henceforth,
the people Of the United States will
back him most heartily, and will have
increased hope not only Of his success
at the polls in November. but for the
success Of his next administration.