Arizona republican., 1912-03-10

The recent speech by Henry L. 1 Stimson. secretary of war, one of the best known and most influential pro- gressive republicans in the country, was delivered before the Taft re- publican club of Chicago. It is q clean cut expression Of the views of many progressive republicans through out the country. and is strong appeal for justice and fairness to President Taft The speech is as | follows:
 '.I am here tonight to speak for the renomination of President Taft. said Mir Stmson. 'I am now and always have been a progressive.
 II am for Taft because l believe he has faithfully carried out the pro- gressive faith Of the republican party: 1 that his administration stands for orderly. permanent progress in our national government. and that to re- fuse him the nomination on the as 1 sertions that have been made against | him would be blow to that progress and would put a premium upon nasty and mfounded criticism.
 
 1 the inspiration of Theodore Roosevelt. am firm believer in the great na- | tional policies for which he has | fought. and I now remain his sincere 1 friend But I believe that those who are forcing him. contrary to his or iginal intention. into the arena against MT. Taft, are jeopardizing in stead of helping the real cause of progress in the nation. The introduction of such a con test at this time. dragging in, as it necessarily will. new and personal is- sues which are quite foreign to the great progressive policies for which the republican party stands. cannot fail to weaken whichever candidate is eventually nominated in June. If. as a result. that candidate is defeat ed in November. the government may be thrown into the hands of q truly reactionary party for years to come" MT. Stimson said that President Taft has devoted himself unceasingly to the carrying out of constructive work along progressive lines. The administration was begun. he said, upon a plan that had the thorough approval and deliberate indorsement of Mir Roosevelt" and to that plan President Taft had adhered rigidly.
 "Is it fair now to criticise him ?'' asked Mir. Stimson. because in faith | fully carrying out this pledge of four years ago. in performing this vitally 1 useful though inconspicuous work, he has not dominated the public at | tcntion with dramatic display"
 President Taft pledged himself said MT Stimson. to a progressive | development" of the work that ! President Roosevelt had inaugurated and the completion and perfection | of the machinery by which the moral standards set by President Roosevelt may be maintained"
 TO this work MT Taft has devoted himself" said Mir. Stimson. He thus | deliberately renounced more striking methods of reform. and set himself ! to the undramatic and inconspicuOus public service which leaves out all
 thought of a mans own aggrandize- 1 ment
 He has repeatedly. for example I urged upon congress to place upon | the classified civil service virtually l all of the presidential offices; a mea- sure which would at one blow strike | out most of the enormous politica power Of the president
 The results of this deliberate self abnegation are shown in the greai
 legislative and constructive accom- | plishments of his term.
 l MT Taft's standards of admins | tratiOn. like those of Mir. Roosevelt
 have been constantly toward purit!
 and eleYation in our public service
 and our public life.
 With great patience. with un | swerving courage. with absolute dis | interestedness, in these eXcitablt | times when mems minds are full O
 a readiness for criticism and de
 sire for experiment, he has carried
 on the burden of administration anC
 has carried it forward It will be
 reflection upon our own power 0
 fair minded and candid judgment
 we do not recognize the merit a
 well as the difficulty of that achieve
 ment now"
 Certain reform methods of gov
 ernment by many of the prOgressiveS
 and in part by Mir. Roosevelt. Wer
 severely criticised by MT. Stimsor
 He denounced the recall of judges a
 destined to bring the courts dow into the welter of politics." and sai that it was no test of a rebIblican' progressiveness to require his sup port to systems that had been sue
 cessful in certain states.
 Tt is mere narroWness and intoI . erance to insist upon d remedy whic has proved effective in one place, q the necessary test of sincere and in telligent reform in another he sait Tt is even more erroneous to max fidelity to one of these schemes local government in one of the com ! monwealths a test for what is prope and appropriate in the governmer . lof ba nation a large "