St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1912-09-25

What's the Use?

the OfOVl1le, WaSn., GaZeLJe, VINO mas
not yet been convinced that incon-
sistency is the chief qualification for
a president OF the United States:
Taft said in his Winona speech
that the Payne-Aldrich tariff was the
best ever, and was damned for it.
Roosevelt said in a signed article
in The Outlook that the Payne-Al-
drich tariff was better than any of its
predecessors and was applauded as
an authority.
Taft prosecuted the trusts and was
branded as a fool politician and
tool Of the interests.
Roosevelt exonerated Paul Nor
ton, a self-confessed rebater and viO-
later of the Sherman antitrust law,
and he stopped the prosecution of the
Harvester Trust, and for these things
he was acclaimed as friend of the
people and their one great savior
from the designs of the money pow
er.
Taft initiated, secured and con-
sistently defended the Canadian reci-
procity treaty and was repudiated by
the farmers of the country as a con-
sequence.
| Roosevelt at first approved and ad-
vocated the treaty, praised Taft for
securing its passage, then little
after denounced it and made it an
issue against the President in his
rre-convention campaign. For this
he was given increased devotion.
Taft carefully examined the rec
ords in the Lorimer case, asked sew
eral senators to do likewise, urged
Roosevelt to help rid the Senate Of
lLorimer, and for his pains he was
branded as a supporter of Lorimer
before the convention and then re-
buked by the Senate for endeavoring
to have the Illinois senator unseated
He is considered to have been weak
i y, pusillanimously and ANONYMOUSLY
wrong throughout.
Before examining the record
Roosevelt dramatically refused to
sit at banquet with Lorimer, agreed
with the President to help unseat
him, then denounced the President
as a friend of Lorimer, and when
Lorimer was expelled from the Sen
ate gloried in the fallen reputation
like an executioner over the dead
body of a victim, shouting without
rhyme or reason, 81 did it, it was
my fight, and I won" For which he
is forever immortalized in the
minds of his countrymen.
| Taft secured the corporation tax
law, the maximum and minimum tar
lift provisions in the Payne-Aldrich
tariff law, the tariff board and the
publication of campaign contribu-
tions law, and was denounced as a
friend of privilege and subservient
to the bosses.
| For seven years Roosevelt lodged
the tariff, ridiculed Bryan's demand
for the publication of campaign con-
ltributions, then later praised the
lpresent tariff law and the tariff
board as the only proper solution
of the tariff problem, and is hailed
as the enemy of privilege and the one
champion of the people as against
the bosses.
AS Secretary of War, Mr.. Taft went
into Oklahoma at the request of Mr..
Roosevelt and pleaded with the peo-
pie to reject constitution that pro-
vided for the initiative, referendum
and the recall as subversive of repre-
sentative government. AS President
| he vetoed the Arizona statehood bill
| on the same grounds. For this peo-
pile say that he betrayed Roosevelt
and Roosevelt policies and has
changed from what Roosevelt
thought he was to some monstrous
sort Of a being.
Roosevelt sent Taft to Oklahoma
to denounce direct legislation and
said that what he thought about the
constitution that contained provi-
sions of that kind wasn't fit to
tprint He ridiculed Bryan's slogan
! of ''Let the people rule Later he
went into Arizona and opposed the
recall of judges, and few days af-
terward in California approved the
same provision. Then in his Colum-
bus speech went further and de-
manded the recall of judicial deci-
sions and adopted Bryan's former
plank of t'Let the people rule" Now
lpeople say that Roosevelt hasn't
changed, but that it is Taft who has
changed and that is why Roosevelt
is fighting him and why he ought to
fight him.
Taft changed a big deficit in the
National Treasury to surplus in
three years, lifted the postal depart
ment out of debt for the first time in
Years, and secured the establishment
of postal savings banks, and is
branded as an incapable Executive.
Roosevelt plunged the country in
Ito debt, the deficit growing larger
each year, failed to improve the pos
tai service or secure postal savings
banks in seven years, and is &C
claimed the greatest Executive in the
history of the country.
Taft preached against war and ne
gotiated peace treaties and is re-
garded as an inhuman monster.
Roosevelt has glorified war and
opposed peace treaties and is looked
upon as a godlike benefactor of hui
manity.
Roosevelt built a steam roller ana
manipulated it ruthlessly in 1904
and 1908 to gain his ends, then
handed it over to Taft. Thereby he
INCREASED the popular respect and
Admiration accorded him.
Taft used that same steam roller
just as he had been taught by
Roosevelt, and he is branded as
thief and a receiver of stolen goods.
But what's the use. These COM
parsons could be continued ad in
finitum and you, Mr.. Bull Moose,
would find in them nothing but evil
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