Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1912-03-20
TAFT AS A PROGRESSIVE

In mis- innocence of mind Mr. Taft
was betrayed into absurd generosity
at Chicago He praised highly his
distinguished predecessor, who is now
contesting his denomination, for
arousing the country to the need Of
guarding against the encroachments
of big business. This is not the
square deal. Mr.. Roosevelt and his
Progressive admirers know too much
to commit any such weakness in the
heat of political campaign. Any
candidate who does not indorse all
the latest Rooseveltian vagaries
deserves to be held up by them to
universal contempt as a reactionary,
an enemy of the people and man Of
dishonest motives.
Not being much of politician, as
he has frequently said, Mr.. Taft, in
his straightforward way, claims that
his own administration is progressive.
merely because it has been progressive
in deeds. He foolishly seems to set
more value upon achievement than
defamation. He does not realize,
apparently. the advantage of posing as
the sole judge Of patriotism, good
citizenship and personal rectitude.
and. being no better demagogue than
politician. he talks frankly about
constitutional government in the
United States as a success and as a
means to higher national develop
ment
He has persuaded himself that to
prosecute and dissolve the Standard
Oil and Tobacco trusts was to be
progressive in deeds. To prosecute
the directors of the beef trust and
sugar trust, who previous to the Taft
administrator had enjoyed personal
immunity, surely meant real progress.
To put on trial for their lives the
steel trust and the harvester trust was
to be more progressive in deeds than
to forbid their prosecution and to
grant to the Morgan interests that
have been so friendly to u.s. an
executive license to absorb business
competitors. To make big business
understand once for all that it must
square itself to the law of competition
and the law against monopoly, and
not expect special privileges in return
for political support, was to be
progressive in deed. To enforce the
Sherman law through the courts and
not to suspend it at private audiences
in the Whitehouse was the proof of
progressiveness.
Progressiveness, according to the
Taft standards, is not personal
government. It is not the rule Of
practical politician who places
expediency above law and his personal
impulse above the constitution.
Clamorous agitation Of quack reforms
is poor assurance Of progress in
government. More claptrap in Mr..
Taft's speeches might help him with
certain kinds of minds But Mr..
Taft respects himself, the dignity Of
his Office and the Intelligence Of his
audiences too much to descend to the
arts of the damagogue. When be
claims to be progressive he points
TO the facts of his record and
challenges fair minded men to deny
them He does not seek to destroy
the constitutional safeguards under
which this country has grown to
greatness.
The president of the United States
cannot impose direct primaries upon
such states as have not adopted them
That is question for the people of
this state to decide for themselves,
and it is sufficient answer to Mr..
Roosevelt's renewed challenge for
preference primaries. The president
could not if he would, impose the
the initiative and recall,
in the forms Mr.. Roosevelt advocates,
upon the forty eight states of the
union. They are free to adopt or
reject such innovations and pay the
penalties Of unwise experiments.
Mr.. Taft knows his powers and his
duties as president, and he does not |
attempt to delude the people into the
belief that president can do wat no
and no laws permit him
% do. He is concerned with the |
trusts, the tariff and the practical
problems of federal government. If
le has made mistakes, they are honest
of judgment He is pro-
.ressive from principle and indeed,
lot from love of sensation and |
for Office. New York World |
Dem.