The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-02-01
PRESIDENT TAFT AROUSED.

President Taft put on his war paint
when addressing his friends and neigh
/ bors in his home State OF Ohio at Col
umbus. on Tuesday night If any one
had the idea that President Taft is dis.
| posed 10 lie down aud Let his enemies
walk over him, that person may as well
dismiss tho idea at once; for the presi'
dent isu Z that kind Of man. He, IN
that speech not only pointed out the
excellent record of his administration rs
whole, but he made aggressive war
upon his detractors. He was especially
vehement in denuuciation of those who
| have attacked him because OF the cn.
forccmcut of tho sherman antitrust
law, reminding them that both party
platforms in zoos called for rigid en-
| forcement of this law.
The President is undoubtedly very
sincere and very much in earnest IN
this matter, and he justly rcsonts being
sssaile.i on this account. The fact Is,
that tho people had not held him re
sponsible for the Ineffective prosccu-
tions that have been made under the
antitrust law, such as the STANDARD
Oil case and the Tobacco Trust case.
The people understand that, although
the successful prosecution in both these
cases resulted in no practical good, that
President Taft ia not responsible for
that failure. They understand also that
Ia, tbof Altar
ncyGencral Wickersham is beginning,
aud threatening right and left, arc the
Attorney G encral's bluuders, and not
the President :. If the people could see
that the Attorney General was getting
any results worth while in his prosccu-
tions. then there would be no such con,
tempt for them or for him.
None of this obloquy, however, at
taches to President Taft. The Prcsl-
dent very properly cntrusts the manage
ment Of the prosecutions to the Attor-
ney-G eneral: that the Attorney General
makes a failure even when he appar-
emily succeeds. is the Attoruey.Gcner-
al 5 fault. and not the President $,
There is no doubt in the world about
the absolute good faith aud earnestness
of President Taft in all of his efforts.
lie has had occasion 10 chastise Attor'
ney-General Wickersham, especially in
the pure food case. and he has been un-
fortunate in others of his cabinet sp.
pointmcnts. But that he himself Is
standing sguarely upon the law and
fully doing his duty as chief executive
of the law, in absolute candor and good
faith. there can be no question, There
is not a particle of sense i'll Republicans
anywhere. and especially in Repub"
licans of Ohio, assailing President Tart
on any point whatever,
The President is able to show, and he
does show in his speeches, fine record
for his administration, That he Will
give even Il better administration in his
second term is undoubtedly true, and
that his assailants are treating him un-
fairly is certain. 1t is especially un.
fair for the Republicans Of his home
State of Ohio TO he back-biting him in
the way that good many of them
have done; aud, in his speech in Colum-
bus on Tuesday evening, he showed his
lust and proper resentment OF that KIND
of treatment President Taft has got
on his fighting clothes at last; and the
country will be glad to see that he Is
aroused 10 resentment over the unfair
attacks that have been made upon him
within his own party and within h1s
own State.
We believe that the country is with
President Taft. and that the Republican
party will stand practically solid at his
back. Those Republicans who are op'
posing MIN arc doing so TO their own in
Jury and TO the hurt Of their party;
while, on the other hand, there are mul-
titudes OF Democrats who admire Presi'
dent Taft, and who believe absolutely
in his ability. his good faith, and his
patriotic motives and services.