The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-03-11
PRESIDENT TAFT PROGRESSIVE.


banquet Of tho Swedish American Re
publican League of Chicago on Satur
day night fully vindicatcd his claim
| that his administration has been pro
grcssive, and that he himself. speak
ing in the partisan terms of the day,
| is a progressive. He went into de
tails, showing what has been accom-.
| plished. and explained the groundwork
| that has been laid for further pro.
| gressiye operations of The Government.
In it all, however, and in everything
that tho administration has done. he
was careful TO say that the founds-
tion was firmly placed upon the law.
When considering the wild schemes
which arc being advocated, he fitly
spoke Of them as a crusade, both de-
structivc and uniustifiabl bic from the
standpoint Of either law or OF bust.
ness.
Referring to the origin Of the pro-
grcsSive movement, he states that IL
began with the century, and has pro.
cecdei with as much rspidity AZ the
reasonable conservatism OF our iusti.
tutiou5 permits. He referred 10 the
administration Of his "disting guishc5
predecessor which had aroused the
business community to the necessity Of
action. And he adverted in commend.
atory. terms TO that action and TO the
general spirit OF the movement which
has spread into every State and every
community. The first step was to stir
the people up TO the nature of the cri.
sls they had TO meet, and show them
the obstacles they must overcome
After that. it was a matter Of hon.
est and candid procedure under the
law.
In all this, President Taft uuques.
tionahly made a complete viudicatiou
Of his administration; his showing
leaves the radical element no rca
ground upon which TO stand. Passing
TO specific propositions, he contrasted |
the faithful and lawful procedure upon |
which his action as President has been
al all times founded, with the reckless
demagogism which has proved real
destruction 10 the reforms that were
''''H'h ''''N9hiN iu oiuFi w iurlHl'lH
the proper control of capital and cor.
poratjon privileges by popular viii,
and to restore equality and opportu-
nifty without affecting the guarantees
Of lifc, liberty, and property, which,
the reactionaries and the irresponsible
shouters of the day habitually disre-
gard.
Referring evidently 10 that portion
of President Roosevelt s speech which
spoke of prominent lawyers as frank
Iy opposed TO our system of govern
ment, and which was plainly aimed at
himself, he showed that he himself
lacks nothing in support of popular
government, and in the insstcnce that
The popular viii shall prevail. But he
wants this popular will to prevail M.
ier the safeguards of tho Constitutions
and IN such way that they viii not
destroy the Government AS established
He holds very Justly that those who
point ont TO the people the error of
what is proposed in their name anil
who reason with them TO the point
bat self-seckers and interested plot
ers would persuade the people against
heir own best interests, should be cx.
poscd and the people themselves warned
against taking up with reckless
schemes that arc alike destructive of
popular rights and Of popular govern
nent He elaborated his position on
his AT some length and insisted that
'is warnings 10 the people were against
has,y action and not against the lie
lbcratc popular judgment when that
Judgment has had time TO mature on
he presentation Of all the facts. He
']osed his statement on this point with ;
he following fine peroration;
I fully and freely admit and assert that {
when the American people have had time |
o earn al the facts, and have had time
@ consider their bearing, their dcliber- |
'te Judgment Is a wiser and better guide
or the state than the Judgment OF the
most GNnerienced statesman. the, most :
profound student Of history. IN this |
,roper sense. the voice OF toe people is
iearer 10 the voice Of God than any
,thcr human decision
There can not be the shadow of a
ioubt of the progressive policies of
President Taft, nor of his firm adher-
'uee TO the principles of popular gov.
a. a matter of fact, there
never was any honest doubt on those
points. But. since thc Roosevelt
'Iaqucrs assailed him falsely and by {
on these specific
it was well enough for
President Taft TO meet the issue frank
y and squarely, as he has done. If
nc needed any vindicaton, his speceh
him: if he needed any de-
Tense from Misrepresentation, this
speech is that defense. But we are
'ully convinced that in the sober. hon.
's' sentiment of the American people. I
President Taft needed no such yind-
,ation. for he Is staunchly enshrined in
he heart OF every patriotic American ;
IS sound. safe, able, and conscientious