Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-10-03
THE PRESIDENTS FORECAST.


No one can read what President TAFT
said this week about his prospects for
reelection without being convinced that
he sincerely believes that the country
is prepared to keep him In Washington
four years more Since he defeated the
third-term candidate and won the reg
ular republican nomination. to which no
was clearly entitled, his optimism has
never failed. But now he gives reasons
for believing that ne will win in Novem-
her, and while many persons will find
them far from convincing. even his pol!t-
ical opponents must admit that the sit
uation has changed materially since tho
Presidents denomination. when some
very able independent newspapers as
sumed that his defeat at the polls was a
forcgone conclusion.
AS election day approaches, the MAX
ing of confident predictions as to the
outcome In November Is left more and
more to the candidates themselves and
the men who are supporting them on the
stump. Everybody sees that Mr.. Taft Is
gaining Conservative newspapers are
not saying who Is going to be elected.
They are reading the signs OF the times
and weighing the chances OF the oandi-
dates Thus the New York Evening
Post, which looks and hopes for the cleo
ton OF Woodrow Wilson, says that while
the Presidents view Of the present re-
publican outlook will not he accepted at
It's face value, there may be a good deal
more In t than 1t has been the fashion
lately to imagine" Saying that there
r., vr,hin a
great measure overlooked, II continues as
follows: "Ont Is the existence OF mil
lions of voters who will quietly continue
In the ranks OF the party with which
they have always been affiliated, ana or
whose attitude, in the very nature or
things. no note is taken in the news of
the day; the other Is the favorable ef-
feet of general prosperity on the chances
Of the party In power. This last FAC
tor has, throughout our history prov
ed to he Of most powerful effect on
the presidential election In view of
the obvious soundncss of what the Even
ing Post has said Of factors favorable
to Mr.. Taft. 1t will not do to assume that
he was chasing rainbows when no so
confidently predicted his own success in
November.
The case for the President Is stated
differently, but not less strongly. by the
Washington Herald, an independent pa
per. which SAYS
president Taft Is right. Prosperity Is
the one great asset of the Republican
party to-day, and President Taft is en-
titled to fun credit for the satisfactory
situation. 1t may he said that the tre-
mendous crops are the foundation or
prosperous times While this Is true 1t
Is also fact that there were bumper
crops in the last democratic adminstra-
ton, and yet there was universal dis
tress. The difference IL In the prices
winch the crops bring. II freight cars
stand idle. n factories are closed, II MIL
lions of workinymen are unemployed
as was the case in ls93-then there IL no
n'barket for the products OF the farm
When, on tho other hand, there Is gen
erai activity In business, with every
body n work with money to pay for
rood, the farmer finds market Tor his
crops at prices which clear his farm OF
its mortgage and put money in bank for
him besides"
What are known as reactions in polit-
'N"' campaigns 90 not ocS"So' GUS P''"S'
tnere have been too many or them TOT
that. That reaction toward Tart mas
set In. Is to-day the most interesting
and important fact beating upon the
national campaign. No one knows now
far 1t viii 70 or what its ultimate erect
Will b., hut II Is undenable thar the
President Is gaining. To say that mis- op-
tinistic forecast can he accounted Tor
on no other ground than that his wish
Is father to his thought, would be TO "
more signs that anybody can see TOT
him self