The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-06-07
THE WORST FAILURE.

that the contemporary judgment is
not only reversed, but absolutely
scorned, by the deliberate Judgment OF
later time. IL has, for instance, been
Justly observed that in the then opinion
of the great majority OF the American
people, after the reverses of the army
of the Potomac, and especially after the
disastrous campaign of Hooker in 1868,
the administration of President Lin
coin was the worst failure in the his
tory OF the American republic. Presi-
dent Lincoln never was popular with
the radical element Of the party, ana
in the gloomy period that ensued after
the Hooker campaign, that campaign IT.
self being the elimination or disasters
that had previously been endured by
that army, there was discouragement
throughout the Republic which ciasseo
Lincoln as a monumental failure in the
Presidential chair.
This is said as reply to those VINO
urge that President Taft is also fan
ure as President. There is no reason,
however, why any one should consider
President Taft a failure any moro than
that the good judgment OF any patriotic
citizen should have proclaimed Lin
coin a failure because of the reverses
spoken of. President Taft has high
record of achievement to his crediti he
has done eminent service to the Repub-
lie. His successful efforts to restore
business confidence after the Roose
Welt panic of 1907, which had not yet
spent its evil influence when President
Taft came into office; his patriotic in
sistence that the tariff law should be
revised downward according TO the
promise OF the Republican platform;
his strengthening Of the Interstate
Commerce law which allows of the
more perfect regulation Of the rail
roads, and extending the jurisdiction to
telegraph, telephone and cable COM
panies; his incorporation OF long and
short haul clause applying to rates of
freight, empowering the commission to
act upon its own initiative in investi-
eating the Justice of rates without
waiting for complaint, empowering the
commission to suspend proposed rates
pending an investigation, and prohibit
ing the subsequent increase OF competi-
two rates between railway and water
carriers once they have been lowered,
all speak strongly OF his influence
upon immediate legislation in transpor
tation questions. He has approved q
safety-appliance act governing carriers
in interstate commerce.; he approved
the act providing for a postal saving
system; he approved the act creating "a
bureau Of mines in the Department of
tho Interior; he obtained the passage
Of law giving tho President specific
authority 10 order temporary with
drawals OF public lands pending investi-
CATION and proper legislation in order
that the public interests might he pro
tccted from spolatiou. He uucarthed
the frauds in the custom service aud
obtained convictions OF offenders, in
stituted criminal proceedings under the
law against the American Sugar Re
filming Company and the National Pack
my 'OnipduN We iuSlitubtD ~ Sulb W
dissolve the United States Steel Com
pany, and began criminal prosecution
against the combines Of lumber dealers.
He obtained the passage Of the corpora
tion tax measure, which has stood the
test of the Supreme Court; be led the
movement for an income tax amend
ment. which requires but four more
States to ratify 1T TO make II part of
the constitution. He appointed com
mission to investigate the evils of ex
isting and unjust stock and bond is
sues. and the question Of Federal regu-
lation Of these abuses. He advocated
the passage Of legislation for the more
effectual control of industrial corpora
tions through regulation, and squarely
opposed the repeal of the Sherman act.
He obtained the passage of a law pro-
viding for the publicity Of campaign
contributions; he was the means of
creating an Economy and Efficiency
Commission which has enabled the
Government TO save large sums of
money yearly and has pointed the way
for Congress to save still larger sums
He interested himself in the problem
of protecting the public interests re-
spccting water power, on which the
Commissioner of Corporations recently
submitted n valuable report He has
published important reports dealing
with the steel and lumber industries
and water transportation; he vetoed
the wool cotton, and farmers free-list
tariff bills because of insufficient in
| formation had on their passage, and
created tho Tariff Board which investi-
gates tariff questions and gives such
information as will lead TO proper legis.
lation upon tariff questions. He neeo.
tiatcd the Canadian reciprocity agree.
ment which was adopted by Congress
and rejected by Canada. but which un.
doubtedly would have worked largely
to the benefit of the people of the
United States. He negotiated the ia,