Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1912-04-12

,hange. Never was the need more |
of men of vision who are
also men of action. Disaster is ahead of
US if we trust to the leadership of the
men whose hearts have withered and
whose eyes are blinded, who believe
that we can find safety in dull timidity
and dull inaction.
Col. Roosevet's proof of the inability
of MIR. Taft to successfully guide the
ship of state, and at the same time his
verdict on the subject of Mr.. Taft's
claims to being progressive. are con-
TONED in the following sentences:
-Four years ago the progressives
supported Mr.. Taft for President and
he was opposed by such representatives
of special privilege as Mr.. Penrose of
Pennsylvania, Mr.. Aldrch of Rhode
Islaod, Mr. Gallinger of New Hamp-
shire, and Messrs. Lorimer, Cannon and
Mckinley of Illinois, and he was opposed
by practically all the men of the stamp
of Messrs. Guggenheim and Evans of
Colorado and MIR. Patrick Calhoun of
San Francisco. These men were not
progressives then, and they do not pre-
tend to be progressives now.
'But unlike the President, they know
who is progressive, and who is not.
Their judgment in the matter is good,
but after three and a half years of
association with and knowledge of the
President, these and their fellows are
now the Presidents chief supporters;
and they, and the men who feel and act
as they do in business and in politics,
give him the great bulk of his
strength.
1.-THE President says he is progress
sive; these men know him well and
have studied his action for three years,
and they regard him as being precisely
the kind of progressive whom they
approve. Now the progressiveness
that meets and merits the cordial ap-
proval of these gentlemen is not the
kind of progressiveness which we on
our side champion.
However good the Presidents in
tentions, believe that his actions have
shown that he is entitled to the support
of precisely these men,"
The attitude of the administration
with regard to the railroad rate bill was
brought under the fire of Col. Roosevelt
He characterized the bill, as submitted
by the administration as thorough,
mischevious measure which would have
undone the good work that has been ac
complished in the control of the great
railroads during the last twenty years. ,
That the measure did not get Oil the
statute books in the manner in which i
was sent to Congress, it was stated
was due to the fight made upon it by
the progressive members OF the Senate
They made it good bill by striking
out the chief features of the bill as tn,
reactionaries presented it," said tn,
Colonel
Col. Roosevelt further prodded tn,
administration of Mr.. Taft for tn,
dilatory tactics used in dealing witt
conservation problems. He stated tina
the administration had for two year
"done everything in its power" to und
the most valuable work done in con
servation, and especially in securing t
people the right to regulate water powe
franchises in the public interest. Col
Roosevelt also dealt with the abandon
ment by Mr.. Taft of the fight starte
by the Colonel, and which the presiden
pledged himself to continue, to secur
social justice in industrial matters
more particularly child labor laws
This legislation was dallied with TO
three years before any action was taker
Commenting on this, Col Roosevelt
said: -
alike in its action and in its inactio
the conduct of the administration durin
the last three years has been such as
merit the support and the approval G
Messrs. Aldrich, Gallinger, Penrost
Lorimer, Guggenheim, and the othe
gentlemen l have mentioned do nc
wonder that they support it, but | d
not regard the administration which ha
merited and which receives such SUI
port as being entitled to call tse
progressive, no matter with whs
elasticity the word may be stretched.
mo men have been closer or MOI
interested students of the career {
President Taft than these men; n
, men better understand its real signif
kcance, no men better appreciate whs
the effect of the continuance of this al
ministration for another four yeal
would mean; and | think their judl
,, ment as shown by the extreme reckless
ness of their actions in trying to secui
the Presidents nomination, gives us a
accurate gauge as to what the admin