Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1912-05-21
taft ENTITLED TO BOSSES
SUPPORT"

Taft and Roosevelt both make good
copy for the weekly and monthly
magazines. In several of them there
have recently appeared interviews
with the president and eX-president,
telling of their views on public ques-
lions, of what they have accomplish !
ed. and what they hope to accomplish. |
The latest contribution along this
| line appears in a recent issue Ct
/ the Saturday Evening Post, in which
Roosevelt condemns his successor IN
somewhat more parliamentary Ian
guage than in his recent campaign
speeches in Massachusetts, but none
the less severely enough to widen
still further the breach and to still
! further increase the disabilities I'M
der which their common party viii
suffer when it has made its nominal
tons and appeals to the people for
votes Here is the way Roosevelt
summarized his opinion as to Taft's
administration:
Mr.. Taft was nominated for presi-
dent in 1908 because of his outspoken
Endorsement of progressive policies.
Opposed to these policies-and to Mr..
Taft-were the reactionaries, Messrs.
Aldrich, Cannon, Penrose, Guggen-
helm, Keeling, Gallinger, Tawney,
Cox, Patrick Calhoun and Lorimer.
Without a single exception these men
are supporting Mr.. Taft today-sup-
porting him openly and with every
political trick at their command. They
are entirely in accord with his record
in the presidency
Have Aldrich, Cannon, Guggen-
helm and Co. become converted to
progressive principles, or are they sat
isfied with Mr. Tafts post-election
attitude toward these principles? Have
the reactionaries become progressives
or has Mr.. Taft turned reactionary?
leave it to the people to judge.
Throughout my term of office the
administration acted for the benefit
: of the people and against special priv
; ilege not only in every instance where
t there was statutory authority for such
} action, but wherever there was no
t statutory prohibition against execu-
. tive action The present administra-
r ton has acted for special privilege
. wherever there was found the slight
t est authority in law, or in constfuc-
ton of law, so to do, and has acted
for the people in those cases only
where it was explicitly commanded
by statute so to act. | gave the peO-
Y pie the benefit of the doubt. This ad-
Y nlnistration has given the benefit OF
{ the doubt against the people.
: In this contest neither Mr.. Taft's
personal interests, nor mine, nol
,, those of any one man must control
4 The interests of the people are para
4 mount This administration has MOI
been true to it's prediction promises
. With this unerring instinct the rep
o resentatives of special privilege, such
as those whom | have named, recog-
o nize this fact, and now flock to the
support of the president.
:, I'm his speech at Philadelphia
:, President Taft called himself a pro
;, gressive, and this raised the question
as to what progressive is. Is MOI
involved than any mans say-so as tC
himself? A well meaning man may
gressive without having the faintes
conception of what a progressive real
ly is. Vision and intensity of convic-
ton are essential to the makeup o.
D any man who aspires to lead the for
' ward movement and wholly useless
as substitutes are mildly good inten-
lieutenant as secretary of war, but
as president he has unfortunately
Il come under the influence of the gen
/ tlemen | have named, and of Others
like them However good the presi-
0 dents intentions, believe that his ac-
I tons have shown that he is entitled
II to the support of precisely these
0 men"
+ Naturally a man who entertains
0 such ideas as to the present repub-
t lican administration could hardly
open his mouth in support of Taft in
c the event of the latter's re-nomina-
g ton at Chicago. Neither could his
t followers be expected to vote for Taft
t let alone enthuse over his candidacy
p for second term. The probability
of an Overwhelming defeat awaiting
+ Taft if he should secure the nomina.
t ton. by virtue of control of thu
Southern delegations, seems to BE-
f more assured every day as he and
= Roosevelt bring the public more and
/ more into their confidence and throw
new light on the two administrations
that are under review.