Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1912-10-30
WHY TAFT?

Senator Charles E. Townsend of
Michigan, the spokesman of Roosevelt
when Townsend was in the house and
Roosevelt president, contributes a
splendid short article to the November
American Magazine, on 'Taft's Claim
for Reelection"
In the opening paragraph Mr.. Town
send says, "Mr. Taft has served as
President for less than three and one
hale years, and yet his administration.
measured by constructive legislative
accomplishments. is unsurpassed by
any other president in our history"
Mr.. Townsend goes on to say that
Mr.. Taft was elected at Chicago in
1908 on a platform approved by the
most progressive element in the re-
publican party and has come nearer to
fulfilling its provisions than any other
president He then enumerates to
some length the accomplishments, such
as tariff revision, tariff board, postal
savings banks and other postal i'm
provements, the enforcement of the
Sherman antitrust law, an employers
liability act, federal aid for road i'm
provement, the conservation of our
natural resources, an eight hour work
day, children's bureau, investigated
foreign labor contracts, work for
worlds peace, and did his utmost for
several other very important planks in
the platform, aside from doing much
not called for in the platform. This
Mr.. Townsend marvelS at when it is
considered that during a large part of
this time Mr. Taft has had a demo-
cratic congress entirely opposed to
many of his views to contend with. In
summing up Mr.. Townsend tells why
he shall vote for Taft in the following
words:
Il shall vote for him because he is
more OF a statesman tnan he is pOliti-
clan. If this fact had been reve rsed
he would now be practically unopposed
for reelection.
Il shall support President Taft
because a careful, unbiased and intelli-
gent study Of all the candidates for
President cOmpels me to select him as
the sanest, the most practically pro-
gressive, the most unselfiSh and the
most reliable Of them all.
II shall support him because under
his administration the general prosper
ity of all our people has never been so
great nor so universal.
Il shall support him because gov
eminent was never before so clean and
its administrat on never before upon
such sound business basis.
Il shall support him because of
some of the enemies he has made
Every great corporate law breaker,
every millionaire who has been in
dicted under President Taft's admins
tration for violating the law, is
opposing him. 1t is true that many OF
these 'malefactorS of great wealth
prefer reform now with Jacobs voice,
yet methinks I can still detect the hand
of Esau.
Il shall support Taft because he is
the duly certified nominee Of the Re-
publican party, and while | deprecate
many convention methods. including
some which attended the conventions of
1912, 1908 and 1904, yet after care
fully reviewing all the evidence l am
satisfied that the convention which
nominated Mr.. Taft was quite as free
from bossism and coercion as any
other convention held this year.
Il am a republican. The republican
party has some unworthy men among
it's leaders, but no other existing party
has fewer of this class. It's principles
are right and the rank and file of its
membership are the most progressive
the most patriotic and intelligent OF
our people.
Its bad men can be deposed ant
will be deposed. l feel that it is my
duty to work in that party to brins
about the greatest good to my country
could not desert it even if | had beer
disappointed in my personal ambition
or desires, for l am Republican
from principle. Mr. Taft has beer
true to the platform upon which h
was elected and true to the principle
of his party"