Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-02-22
Presidents Friends Pleased by
Fighting Spirit.
The Contest Not Of HIS Seeking, but
lie VIII stand on Record Of
Administration and Meet
All Corners.

\ and democratic opponents from this time
on. The aggressive qualities recently dis
played by the President have won him
the commentator OF some OF the dearest
| foes in his own party. They say that IT
he always had displayed the forceful
qualities he now Ia showing In his cam
| paign for denomination and reelection.
he would not now DO confronted by q
| divided party, but would have held the
most ardent Roosevelt men to his sup
| port.
| Following the Presidents change Of
front his friends are engaged In explana-
tion. They say that MIR. Taft Is never at
his bes. unless confronted Ivy real, tangi-
| bic opposition They say ne realizes that
/ he has In some manner incurred the po-
| litical enmity OF Theodore Roosevelt. and
that he feels the situation most kecnly.
At the same time, they assert. the fact
that he is opposed even by his old friend
has aroused him to fighting enthusiasm.
They point out that the President has
permitted the other side ITO carry the
! fight to him" Now that the first blow
has been struck, they expect him to take
on all corners. not so much with Il view
to attack as for the purpose Of meeting
|
| by his own administration.
STRIKING CHANGE IN PRESIDENT
| Those who have seen and talked with
the President lately have been struck by
| the change which has come over him.
/ The President Is full of spirit for the
| fray. He believes that he is making
| Roadway toward u denomination. and he
| IS confident that his administration will
| be vindicated when the country thor
| oughly understands what It has ac-
| complished.
The President has arrived at his pres
ent frame of mind by process of evolu-
ton. He entered the presidential Office
with the characteristics of the judge. He
has always regarded himself as "a party
man." as he frequently expresses it, but
he could neither quite bring himself at
the outset to lead public opinion in an
assault upon Congress nor to lead his
| party in starving out the democrats. In
the latter particular some democratic and
republican members of both houses OF
Congress say that he has come nearer 10
being the president of all the people"
| than any other occupant of the White
| House IN recent years.
| AS his friends put 1t, Mr. Taft for at
| least the first two years of his admins
tration gave little thought to the ques-
ton of succeeding himself in the White
| House. Handicapped by n judicial tenn
/ permanent which he applied not only to
the Ballinger case. but even TO the small
er matters of administration. the Presi-
| dent contented himself with taking official
| business as il came along, and deciding
ii with all the solemnity OF a judge. The
contrast in this regard between his adj
| ministration and the preceding one was
startling to the country. and. perhaps,
| disappointing The results achieved were
| lost sight Of In the disappointment of the
| politicians because the President would
not play politics. and in tho disappoint-
| ment of the country as Il whole that he
! did not lay vigorous hand on the adj
| administrations and legislative features of
| the government. No card hung on the
White House wall bearing the inscrip-
| ton: If you want to find out who is
boss. start something"
MISTAKES OF FIRST TWO YEARS.
them. happened during these first two
| say hat the victory Of the Democratic
1910 marks the turning point in Mr.. Taft's
Most Of the Presidents political and
| administrative mistakes, and he has no
| Hesitation IN admitting that he made
administration. They say that from that
time he has realized his obligations not
to the country IS Il whole. but to his
party, more than he did before. and that
this first sign OF opposition stirred in him
those lighting qualities which he mas long
been known to possess but has always
been loalh to use until cornered
THIS awakening needed only little
| prodding from his advisers to put the
President into the proper pitch for the
coming campaign. The advice he received
nom various leaders OF she party was
along this liNo: II you permit your re-
nomination tV ne lost b. default. your
party VIII rot only be placed in the
osltion of rcpudiating you and your ad
'n!r.Gtration, but also It's platform OF
lsE", which you have endeavorcd to carry
oI. 10 the best OF your ability. II the
party shal! nominate some one else for
president and shall then be defeated IN
this sear's election. the party itself will
he without leader or a principle upon
which To make is future campaigns. In
Other words, what we had cen predict
Ing until 1908 about he end M the Demo-
cratic party Will be more nearly appli-
cable to our own. 1t Is your duty To get
into this hight actively, state Your posi-
ton on In" issues before the country. de-
f"nd your administration. AMI INSIST up
on a renominat ton
Fix months ago 1t seemed probable ihat
Mr.. Taft would be rcnonnated without
Opposition. Then came IN" candidacy of
senator Robert NJ La Toilette OF Wis
consin, representing the progressive wing
81 the Republican party. /. followed
president Faft's long swing about tho
country last summer. As the Ia Toilette
'!de rose and fell. the President, accord
ing to his friends. took an increasing in
leiest In the situation. This interest has
steadily Increased. until within recent
weeks since the Presidents friends have
BECOME convinced that Mr.. Roosevelt Is
arter his scalp the President has grown
alert 10 every phase OF the situation
TAFr'S INCREASING CONFIDENCE
AS the Presidents interest In the poll
tics OF his party and of the opposite party
has grown. his confidence has Increased
Recently. ne let It be known that he was
not only confident OF his renomina ton,
hut confident that he could beat any can
didate the democrats could name against
him This statement he backed up with
one of his most vigorous political ad-
dresses IN New York. He defended his
administration and his party as one Of
progress and attacked his radical OPP
4 a,-et..