New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-20

the Southern delegates. i lie IdlI hhVS
are standing firm which is all they nave
10 do in order to insure victory 10 the
President
PARTY DOCTRINE Avn RECORD.
Senator Roots review Of Republican
achievement i'm the last four years ana
of the reasons why the Republican party
NAV with Justice ask continuance OF
mower must command the admiration
and assent of every citizen who is
Republican because he believes in the
historic principles Of that party. II
there be any who challenge the justice
of his tributes or the soundness OF his
doctrines. il can only be those who wish
to see the Republican party made the
advocate Of new and strange nostrums
inconsistent with its traditions ana
with the fundamental concepts ot the
fathers who established this nation ms
representative republican federal gov
eminent of coordinate departments
and limited powers with guarantees OF
judicial independence and due process
Of law to minorlties.
The scheme of government so estab-
lished. to which, as Mr.. Root points out,
the Republican party has been always
faithful, is capable Of meeting every
new social and industrial need In or
derby fashion and adjusting itself to
changing conditions just as fast as the
RI al r
that adjustment is needed and are
agreed as to its nature. 1t does not
respond quickly enough 10 suit some
eager souls to demands for Constitu-
tional reforms which may be loudly
urged but which have not yet secured
the convinced support Of n persistent
and substantial majority. So in the
name Of progress" the cry Is raised
that the transformation should be made
easier In order that constitutional guar
antees Of individual rights may be over
thrown whenever temporary majority
in any state may dislike the judicial de-
fence Of those rights. The new doc
tTine is preached that an executive, in
stead of being clothed with a grant Of
limited powers, is in essence an auto
strained by affirmative law. In the
name Of a larger liberty and "mOre
perfect democracy" the plea is made for
more sOcialistic invasion Of the per
sonal and property rights OF individuals
than was ever before dreamed Of in
this country. 1t is commonplace Of
radical OI-atOry TO denOunce our COnsti-
tuition as an OutwOrn instrument Of
aristOcracy because Of its checks and
balances. The party which does not
espouse these doctrines OF hair-triGger
reform no doubt will be reproached as
"reactionary." But the Republican party
is true to itself and the country in
standing, at the cost Of such reproach,
firm for the constitutional ideals Of Lin
coin, who said;
4 majority held I'm restraint by consti-
tutional checks and limitations and al
ways changing easily with deliberate
changes OF popular opinion and sentiment
is the only true sovereign Of free peo-
pie. Whoever rejects II does Of necessity
fly 10 anarchy or despotism.
Whoever is nominated at Chicago, the
Republican party will go before the
electorate for judgment on the record
Of the present administration. Mr..
Root shows that record to have been
one Of steady progress in securing the
practical results Of previous period of
pioneering. A great advance has been
made toward taking the tariff out Of
politics, as refOrmers had been for
years demanding. Employers liability
laws have been extended, economy and
administrative reforms introduced cor
poratiOns brought more under control,
antitrust laws more effectually and i'm
partially administered than ever before.
What Mr.. Root says about these and
other great achievements Of President
Taft cannot be truthfully disputed. No
Republican would have questioned 1t. no
need would have existed TO state II. but
for long and persistent campaign Of
Misrepresentation. The party record for
the last four years rings true to funda-
mental party doctrines. And Senator
Root Is as just in defending the one
as he Is sound In eXpounding the other.