The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-09-22
By
Jno. E. Stillman.
No. 8.

essential, that indescrtbable something
that is necessary in the makeup of
what the American people have evolved
in their ideals of what a president
should be. Abraham Lincoln had II
and so did Andrew Jackson, and Gen
eral Grant had it, and Woodrow Will
son has it-Roosevelt is actor enough
to give a good imitation, but he hasn't
the real article.
It takes the man that has been born
on a farm, or reared by parents who at
least make him understand the value
Of dollar, and that If he gets any
thing worth while out Of life that he
must hustle and get 1t for himself,
to get this in his system.
COMMON PEOPLE UNDERSTAND.
It is the common people" who ac-
quire an acute understanding Of their
fellow man and that keen insight into
the affairs of life that man who has
only studied from books fails to get.
It Is true that the greatest study of
mankind is man" but 1t can only be
studied successfully from the bot
tom up" not from the top down"
When Taft became president he en-
tered a new field where this faculty
was needed. He lacked understanding
of the human element in the case, and
was evidently incapable or Indifferent
or both of acquiring 1t. Only a man
lacking in this respect would have Sc
lected and kept in his cabinet, and even
fought when necessary for their reten-
ton as Taft did for one Of them, such
men as Ballinger and Hitchcock Any
man who was not a better Judge Of
human nature than to give such char
acters as these even casual considera-
ton for positions in his cabinet would
show by this one act his incapacity
for the presidency.
The attitude of the people was at
first patient, and they did not want to
lose faith and confidence in one In
whom they had trusted so implicitly.
But the fates were unkind to Taft and
his greatest characteristic has been,
up to date, striking the wrong chord in
his utterances and acts
"BuNcoEDr BY SOMEBODY.
what was wrong, came to the belief
that they had been 'buncoed' by
somebody, IN some way, and when the
people get this idea firmly In their
minds, there is sure to be something
analytical, but they are the mills of
the Gods" that though grinding slow
grind exceedingly fne." They did not
realize that having taken with open
arms an opera bouffe hero. self made
through the opportunity Of an opera
bouffe war, and accepted his preach
ments as law and gospel for over seven
years, that there had to be a day of
reckoning.
No doubt any man who succeeded
Roosevelt as president and inherited
his sins of omissions and commissions,
would have had an unsatisfactory ad-
ministration, but one who was enough
of politician to understand and read
men. would have had a great advan-
tage over Taft.
Any man who is honest and inteli-
gent, and last but not least, Is blessed
with that God like quality known as
common sense, ought to make a good
president. But the people in great part
have placed q president on pedestal,
in their minds, with a halo around his
head. and located him in an atmos
phere of superiority, forgetting that
like every other man he must wear
suspenders to keep his trousers in
place. The more like other people he
is the better president he will be. This
Is certainly true Of those who are gem
eral1y accredited in public opinion as
having been our best presidents.