The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1912-08-10
THE PRESIDENTS SPEECH OF
ACCEPTANCE

PRESIDENT TAFT was not so much
surprised by his notification of his nomi-
nation as that he could not reply and
reply in words that are very wise. We
have not found it to our liking always
to endorse the Presidents words or
deeds. But we find it entirely agreeable
TO express our hearty approval of his
every utterance in his recent speech of
acceptance.
That speech may not gain him votes
But we are among those who beiieve that
the business of leadership is not to say
the thing that is popular but the thing
that is TRUE. Therein lies the merit
of the Presidents utterance. 1t has, of
course, Mortified the progressively that
President of these U. S. should SO far
fail to appreciate the sentiment of the
country" as to give utterance to such
President Taft was not thinking about
the sentiment of the country" in this
deliverance of his; we suspect his
thought was on something higher and
better-on making the people bark back
from the ''eXaggeration of the defects of
our present condition TO remem-
brance of things that are SOUND, and
wise, and tested in governmental affairs
Mr.. William Jennings Bryan finds him
self shocked havOnl h, Mr
Taft's failure to comprehend the signi-
ficance of popular government, because
of his very proper structures on the
workings of the direct primary. On the
other, to our thinking, those structures
are eminently deserved. Mr.. Bryan and
his whole school of political philosophers
that popular government is of necessity
Synonymous with direct government
that the character of the governmental
machinery is essential to the preserva-
ton of the peoples rights. Nothing
could be further from a sound political
economy or from the facts of political
hiSlois' Ile hASf1l.NE OF govern
ment is nothing in the world but the
means to an end. Hence the truism that
that form of government is best which
governs best. Mr.. Taft is entirely justi-
fled in his assertion that our present
form of government in these United
States has been found adequate and sat
isfactory, and is not likely to be i'm
proved indeed, is likely to be impaired
by direct primaries" and the like.
So far as We are concerned, we are
very glad to have the President raise the
issue squarely on the question of con-
servatism VS.. progressveness $50 called).
1t enables a man to know where ne is.
1t clarifies the situation decidedly For
ourselves, we can have no further de-
bate We are certainly not relishing
the idea OF the election of Woodrow
Wilson and the certain afterclap of
business depression.
Neither are we ready to swap all orr
seasoned ideas of representative repub-
ncan government for the program of the
so-called progressives. We continue to
cherish our vast respect for the SER
vices rendered by Col Roosevelt to our
political conditions. But we do not like
and cannot subscribe 10 his progress
sive" program 1t may be very popular,
but we cannot think it wise and right.
If this is labelling ourselves a reac-
tionary, then so be it. 1t is the thing
for which we stand in governmental
doctrine and we are glad that President
Taft stands for it-flat footedly and I'M
compromisngly in his speech of ac-
ceptance. THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
STANDS FOR NONE OF THESE IN
NOVAT1ONS' That is a sentence from
the Presidents speech, about which
there can be no misunderstanding.