The Oskaloosa herald., 1912-01-25
WE ARE FOR TAFT.

Des Moines Capital The editor of
The Capital for many years has been
close friend OF President Taft. The
friendship amounts to mutual person.
al confidence. We have assured Pres,
ident Taft time and again that he
should have our Individual and news.
paper support. This position cannot
be changed.
President Taft Is holding his first
term. He has done the best he could.
He has not had a fair chance. He
has not had help from his party that
he should have had. President Roose
welt had the backing and support of
everybody. Whatever he did, the
people said was right. President Taft
with equally good motives, has been
met only with fault finding. He has
seldom been greeted by cheers.
President Taft is a big man, men
tally. He makes errors, but he Is sin.
cere and clean. President Roosevelt
trusted him with large responsible
ties. Since he has been president he
has undertaken to be a president for
the entire country. He was elected
on a protection platform and suppos.
ed the country wanted protection.
When he found by the congressional
elections that the country wanted a
partial destruction of the tariff, he
proposed free trade with Canada.
This we regard as his cardinal mis-.
take. But he was justified in a meas.
ure in putting the matter to the test.
The proposition provoked great con.
troversy and much i'll feeling. Then
Canada saved the day for the states.
President Taft has done his best to
get along with the progressives. He
has appointed many of them to office.
He has recognized them as being re.
publicans. He has recognized their
views and has adopted many of them.
There is no reason for deserving him.
He stands for every good thing which
any other man stands for and he
stands for none of the unwise things
which some of the other men stand
for
He has appointed big men on the
bench of the supreme court. He has
enforced the Sherman antitrust law.
He sought to make no glory out of il.
He has not issued any proclamations
in regard to what he has done.
We believe President Taft will be
renominated. If he cannot be re-
elected, no other republican can be
elected. If he cannot provoke en-.
thusiasm. no other republican can.
The editor of The Capital will not
put himself in the position of going
back on an old friend without just
cause. We cannot do the Woodrow
Wilson act.
With malice toward none and char.
ity for all, we propose to stand by
President Taft.
Under no circumstances will thu
aditOr of The Des Moines Capital aid
in the nomination of Senator La
Toilette.
We do not believe that Colonel
Roosevelt will be candidate for
president. He is one of the worlds
greatest men. He would mar his re-
cord by even becoming a candidate.
Four more years as president would
not give him an opportunity such as
some OF his opportunities were when
he was president. He is occupying a
good position today. He takes inter
est in public affairs and gives express
sion to his views. He gives the
country his opinions. In this regard
he is doing a grand work. He made
Secretary Taft president. He ought
not now to be a candidate against
him, and we do not believe he will be.
This country wants peace and a
righteous enforcement of law. We
are more likely to have these condi-
tons under the second administra
ton of Taft than under the first ad
ministration of any new man or the
third administration of any former
president.
The selection of president of the
United States is national, not a
local proposition.
We want it understood everywhere
and for all time, that we stand for the
denomination and reelection of viii
lam Howard Taft.