Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-06-24
THE REPUBLICAN, PARTY AND
ITS CANDIDATE.

ITS CANDIDATE.
Four years ago Theodore Roosevelt
as president of the United States,
brought about the nomination of Will
liam H. Taft as president of the
United States. It was Mr.. Roosevelt
and his political agents through the
country who devised and successfully
operated that machine that has come
to be known as the steam roller"
Mr. Roosevelt, after long and init.
mate acquaintance with Taft, after
association with him in various de.
partments of the government, know.
ing his high character and ability, put
him forward as the man best capable
OF carrying out the policies which Mr..
Roosevelt stood for, but which needed
legislation to make them effective.
Mr.. Roosevelt furthered the candidacy
of Mr.. Taft with a better knowledge
of the man than any other leaders Of
the party, and with the declaration to
the American people that Taft was
the ablest and best leader Of them all.
Mr.. Taft was nominated and follow
ing his nomination and election be-
gan upon an administration whose
aim was to put the policies that had
been ad, anced in the form of con-
crete law. 1t is not out of place to
state here that the Taft administra-
ton was more productive of legisla-
ticu designed to correct the evils that
had been complained of but not leg
1slated against than the seven years
Of the Roosevelt administration. For
Roosevelt is an apostle and mission.
ary-not constructive statesman.
He thrives upon the outdoor work of
reform-the addressing of the multi
tude and the enthusing Of voters with
speeches and exhortations. Mr.. Taft is
a builder, the statesman of the office
and the workshop, whose aim is to
crystalline into law the declarations of
the party platform. So far as he has
been able to do 80, considering the
difficulties under which he has had to
labor, he has done this.
In the doing of what he set out to
do, 1t was only natural that Taft
should encounter wide differences of
opinion, and tW opposition of some
OF the men who were ardent Roose.
welt men and who could not recon
Gle themselves to the presidency of
another man than Roosevelt. For the
maintenance of authority and the pre-
servation of self respect, it became
necessary for Taft to remove Pinchot.
who aimed to be bigger man thar
the president. In the enactment of
tariff bill, there followed the usual
dissatisfaction that follows the enact.
ment of every tariff law. In the
championing of reciprocity with
Canada, the president suffered in the
agricultural regions, where it was
held, and for the time being truthlv
so, that the chief burden of reciprocity
would be borne by the farmer. We
think the president was moved more
by what he thought would be the ulti
mate good of the whole country than
by temporary political considerations,
when he urged the matter of Canad-
ian reciprocity. But Taft is that kind
OF a man-and there must be upon
sober reflection, respect felt for the
man who follows his convictions even
to the extent Of temporary political
disadvantage.
So that in a few things the presi.
dent found it impossible to satisfy all
elements of his own party. In his
enactment Of laws for the dissolving
Of trusts and his enforcement Of them