Evening star., 1912-11-14
MUST LOOK TO THE FUTURE
Urges Vigilance Against Bull Moose.
Socialist Combination.
ROOSEVELT VOTE SURPRISES
President Not Greatly Disappointed
at His Defeat-Had Not Been
Misled as to His Popularity.

President Taft gave to the New York
World correspondent last night his views
OF politics. policies and parties from the
viewpoint of man who has been defeated
Dut mas not quit. 1t was his first state
ment at length for publication since the
election.
Ihe future OF party that will guard
the Constitution was uppermost in the
PRESIDENTS mind. He referred to the
third term party without bitterness, but
with an apparently full and sincere ap-
preclatlon of the futility of its promises
ana with regret that there We're those
VINO would take promises as perform
ances. The President said
i was very hopeful, as my position as
leader required me to be- that there
would be a different result. / was sur
prised at Mr.. Roosevelt's strength. as
compared with that of the regular re-
publican ticket l had hoped, on a basis
or percentages. that we might pull
through. or course. l could not be blind
to the fact that struck every one, that,
II you take majority party and divide
1t in two. unless the majority is very
large indeed, as ours was not. the solid
minority party is apt to prevail over
either of the parts of the majority, and
so 1t was
While | was hopeful. / was not in
condition of mind where the defeat greatly
disappointed me, and now 1t would seem
to me as if | had never anticipated any
different situation. The criticisms and
attacks upon my administration, of which
seem to have had more than has fallen
to the lot OF most, covering two or three
years. had not prepared me for trium-
phant reelection and had not greatly mis-
led me as to my popularity among the
American people,
Taft's View of Real Progress.
My own theory is that real progress
| does not take place in a very radical
way. | think progress is accomplished
| step by STEP, the President continued
He went on to describe the reform of
| the civil service and went on to say: Il
1 only instance this to show that not by
4 radical action overnight, but quietly, in
the course of years, the opinion of the
individual. the public opinion and the
statute operating together. have made
| for righteousness.
Progressive Program Impossible.
| ''The difficulty l find with the present
progressive program is that it contem-
plates the impossible 1t assumes that
legislation can do everything with the
individual, and with the government,
and in that way make over the world,
ance for the individual by individual in
fuence and individual changes. 1t is
holding up prize to the followers of the
| cause that is quite beyond any possible
| realization.
IF the country could stand the bur-
| den and the injury that would follow
| the fundamental constitutional changes
| that are insisted upon, in order that these
reforms may be affected, l would like to
see the attempt made. in order that the
people might learn the hollowness and
| the impracticability and the sham char
| acter Of many of the promises upon
which such progress is promised.
But the country cannot afford to turn
| itself over to class Of men who do not
deserve to figure in any more honorable
light than quacks do I'm the practice of
medicine 1t would be too great danger
| to the body polite. We must rely not
on dangerous experiment but on argu-
| ment and on a reasonable demonstration
to the people, by common sense talk to
end the enthusiasm of hysteria and false
hopes.