Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-03-07
TAFT PRAISED
BY sT|MS0N
SECRETARY OF WAR, ROOSE
VELT's PRorEGE, ANNOUNCES
SELF AS TAFT SUPPORTER.
LAUDS PRESIDENT.
Taft's Administration, He Says, Rep.
resents Highest Expression Of
Republican Progressive Policy
Sees Colonel Misled.

Chicago, March, e.-Henry L. Slim
son of New York, secretary of wal
and the Roosevelt candidate for gov
ernor Of New York in 1910, last nigh
declared himself for President Taft
and said that while he remained tn'
sincere friend of Mr.. Roosevelt, h
could not support him for the presi
Dental nomination.
| Mr.. Stimson entered President Taft:
cabinet last year, after consultation
with Mr.. Roosevelt, and with the dis
tinct understanding with the president
! that he would be bound in no way tt
take part in the political activities o.
the administration. In speech before
the Taft club of Illinois last night, he
declared his belief that President
Taft's administration represented the
highest expression of progressive re
publican policy. ~.
II am here tonight to speak for the
denomination of President Taft said
Mr.. Stimson. II am now and always
have been a progressive.
II am for Mr.. Taft because I be-
lieve he has faithfully carried out the
progressive faith of the republican
party; that his administration stands
for orderly, permanent progress In our
national government and that to re-
fuse him the nomination on the asser-
tons that have been made against
him, would be blow to that progress
and would put a<premium upon hasty
and unfounded criticism.
II entered into public life under the
inspiration of Theodore Roosevelt.
hoH in a
Itional policies for which he has fought !:
and I now remain his sincere friend.
But believe that those who are fore
ing him, contrary to his original nten-
ton, into the arena against Mr.. Taft,
are jeopardizing> instead of helping
the real cause of progress in the ma
ton.
Sees Peril to Party.
"The introduction of such contest
at this time, dragging in, as it neces-
sarily will, new and personal issues
which are quite foreign to the great
progressive policies for which the re-
publican party stands, cannot fail to
weaken whichever candidate is even
tually nominated in June. If, as re-
suit, that candidate is defeated in No
vember, the government may be
thrown into the hands of truly re-
actionary party for years to come.
Mr.. Stimson said that President Taft
lad devoted himself increasingly to
the carrying out Of constructive work
along progressive lines. The admin
istration was begun he said, upon
plan that had "the thorough approval
and deliberate endorsement Of Mr..
Roosevelt and to that plan President
Taft had adhered rigidly."
is it fair now to criticise him. ask
ed Mr.. Stimson, because, in faithfully
carrying out this pledge of four years
ago, in performing this vitality useful
though inconspicuous work, he has
not dominated the public attention
with dramatic display"
President Taft pledged himself, said
MI. Stimson, to a progressive de-
of the work that Presi- |
dent Roosevelt had inaugurated, and
the completion and perfection of the
by which the moral stand
ards set by President Roosevelt may |
be maintained
ITO this work Mr.. Taft has devoted |
himself" said Mr.. Stimson. HE thus
deliberately renowned more striking |
methods of reform, and set himself to
The undramatic and inconspicuous pub
lie service which leaves out all thought
If a mans own ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
Praises Civil Service Recommendation
HE has repeatedly, for example, urg-
I'd upon congress to place upon the
classified civil service virtually all OF
he presidential Offices; measure
which would at one blow strike out
most of the enormous political power
If the president.
THE results of this deliberate self
Lbnegation are shown in the great
legislative and constructive accom-
,lishments of his term. Mr.. Taft's
standards Of administration, like those
If Mr.. Roosevelt, have been constant
y toward purity and elevation in our
public service and our public life.
with great patience, with unswerv-
ne courage, with absolute disinterest-
,rness, in these excitable times when
mems minds are full Of a readiness for
and desire for experiment,
re has carried on the burden Of adj
and has carried it for
ward. 1t will be reflection upon our
'wn power Of fair-minded and candid
Judgment if We do not recognize the
merit as we'll as the difficulty of that
now"
Denounces Referendum and Recall.
Certain reform methods of govern l
Gent advocated by many of the pro- :
,ressives, and in part by Mr.. Roose-
elt. were severely criticised by Mr..
;timson. He denounced the recall OF
Judges as destined to bring the courts
down into the weller Of politics.;
nd said that it was no test Of re-
ublican's progressiveness to require
is support to systems that had been
uccessful in certain states.
at Is mere narrowness and intoler'
nee to insist upon a remedy which {
las proved effective in one place, as
he necessary test of sincere and in I
elligent reform in another he said
IT is even more erroneous to make
delity to one of these schemes of To- ;
al government in one of the COM
a test for what is proper
nd appropriate in the government OF
lie nation at large"