The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-02-19
A Brutal Taunt

IL i ~ SbA4O
imam he hates, he was guilty Of an IN
excusable bunder I'm the use OF
4,iaHs4fhs+-.- ftft.-rfttt- neraAtt-mhnE heard
or read his speech instinctiyely APP
oiled the taunt TO Senator LaFollette's
physical ailment ,
IL is an insinuation that Senator La
Toilette is afflicted as he Is not
never has been and never will be. II
intimates an intellectual weakness In
one whose achievements In Wisconsin
and in the United States senate prove
him one of the greatest OF Americas
constructive statesmen. IL suggests
brutally a permanent constitutional
weakness instead OF the truth. that
lifelong toiier, whose capacity for
work in many varied fields has been
almost superhuman broke down tenn
/ pCrarily under strain which no
mans physical powers are meant TO
bear without rest or relaxation.
We believe that every person pres!
ent al that dinner in Philadelphia,
wncn the knowledge of his childs
grave illness was the last burden
which precipitated Senator LaFol-
lette's collapse, instinctively knew
that this man, who never had acknow-
| lodged defeat was making an unequal
struggle against physical collapse
that makes any man subject of sym.
pathy and help. We know that this
| is so because OF the marked courtesy
and sympathetic consideration shown
to Senator LaFollette by some OF his
severest critics who were present.
/ The disrespect which the senator be-
lieved was being shown TO him was
not real, for during the entire time OF
that painful and almost tragic expert
ence many men, strangers TO Senator
iLaFollette and others who antagonize
him, sat silently and .sorrowfully
through il all
II is hardly coceivabe that Presi-l
dent Taft was not fully acquainted
with all these facts He must have
known more. And that is that Senator
lLaFOllette's physical condition has
eliminated him as a serious candidate
from this years presidential cam
paigi. President Taft is bound TO
know that Senator LaFollette's truest
and most loyal friends rightly value
his future services to this nation too
highly 20 permit him TO risk health,
If not life itself. in this presidential
campaign before months of. first. rest
and then, for a time, lessened instead
OF increased tasks have restored him
20 fullest vigor. Yet, knowing these
facts, President Taft wantonly struck
that angry, cruel blow.
Nj. Taft must have been actuated
by mixed motives when he made that
heartless speech We think there
was in il an exultant note. despite
the fact that an opponent. not by poll
ff.aal ira hut 1. q Ia oh nf
sickness, had temporarily been re-
moved from the path Of Mr. Taft's am
4 bfttfUu.
The other motive, though less cruel.
merely because il will not effect its
purpose, must have been 10 try TO
, remove this man from the field OF
future usefulness. No man in this
nation possesses such power of de-
. structive criticism as the president OF
, the United States. And for him 10
stigmatize a public man as Mr.. Taft
, did Senator l.aFollette is calculated
, to do unjust hurt to that mans whole
, career
! In this case, however our firm be-
I lief is that as time goes on this de-
Iplorable act will hurt Taft more than
! llaFollette. While his illness will
r largely take him out of the present
campaign, there is every reason to
! hope that n period Of comparative
rest will restore Senator LaFollette
! TO complete strength. so that he can
, carry on the work in which he has
I. been so splendid pioneer and
through long years continue his
a career as patriot, statesman. cham
pion and leader OF the people,
Philadelphia North American.