The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1912-03-15
His Enthusiastic Endorsement.

publican national platform praising
the work and personality of the then
occupant of the white house, and
pledging continuance of the policies
under another republican president
about to be named
Failure of republican convention
to approve the record of a republican
executive would, indeed, be anomalous
and, as a matter of fact, this tribute
to President Roosevelt was in part a
tribute to Mr.. Taft who, as secretary
of war, had helped formulate and car
ry through the Roosevelt policies. AS
to the execution of the pledge to con-
tinue the good work. the best evil
dence is found in the platform adopt
ed two years later by the New York
state republican convention, presided
over and wholly dominated by Theo-
dore Roosevelt which reads as fol-
lows:
I'VE enthusiastically endorse the
progressive and statesmanlike leader.
ship of William Howard Taft, and de-
clare our pride in the achievements
dent of the United States. Each sue
ceeding month since his Inauguration
has confirmed the nation in it's high
esteem of his greatness of character.
intellectual ability, sturdy common
sense, extraordinary patience and per-
severence, broad and statesmanlike
comprehension of public questions
end unfaltering and answering ad-
herence to duty. He has strengthened
our prestige with foreign nations and
treated with vigor and wisdom i'm.
portant international problems, not
ably our tariff relations with Ger
many France and Canada. Under
his administration the prosecution of
those implicated in the sugar and
others customs frauds have been con-
tinued and convictions obtained:
there have been impartial and ener.
getic enforcement of the Sherman an
thrust act; a substantial reduction of
governmental expenses: the establish.
ment of better business methods,
which will result in greater efficiency
and real economy; remarkable prog
ress in the construction of the Pana-
ma canal ard the withdrawal from
private entry of over II 100000 acres
OF the public domain. to preserve for
public benefit valuable coal and other
mineral deposits, timber land and
water power sites. On his recon-
mendatiOn congress has provided for
commission to investigate and re.
port on the regulation of the issuance
OF stocks and bonds by public serv.
ice corporations engaged in interstate
commerce. He has advocated new
system OF appropriations for river
and harbor improvements, under
which each item, after investigation
by experts, shall be approved and car
ried TO completion as separate
measure. This recommendation we
heartily endorse"
This is the platform upon which
Col. Roosevelt campaigned the En-
pire state in 1910 asking election of
his preferred choice for governor, and
If he could enthusiastically indorse
the leadership of President Taft, and
! take pride In the achievements of his
! first eighteen months in the white
| house, surely nothing has happened
since to justify reversal of this
certificate of approval.
Fremont Tribune: The candidacy
of Mr.. Roosevelt could not have been
foreseen. When on Nov. 8, 1904, i'm
mediately following his election, he
said: Under no circumstances viii
| be candidate for or accept another
nomination.; and when after the
election in 1907 the question was
again raised. he said: II have no
changed and shall not change that de
cision thus announced" he APPARENT,
left open no avenue by which HI
could go back to the white house. II,
now says that, believing as he does
in the rule of the people he will &C
cept another nomination if tendere,
him, Without raising the question
whether honor be involved, we ma
appropriately inquire into the polit
cal eXpediency of the Roosevelt cand
dacy.
Mr.. Taft was presented by Pres
, dent Roosevelt to the nation out o
his own cabinet and the nation too
= him with Mr.. Roosevelt's warm an
= rnreserved endorsement. To Chair
man Mckinley of the republican COZ
gressional committee, he wrote Sep
9, 1908: ITO elect Mr.. Taft at tn
same time to elect congress pledge
to support him, is the only way to PEI
, petuate the policy OF the government
, as now carried on" On the sam
, date he also wrote another letter civ
en- to the public in which he said:
ITO permit the direction of on
4 public affairs to fall alternately int
, the hands of revolutionaries and T,
, dictionaries. of the extreme radicals c
1 unrest and of the bigoted conservi
\ tives who recognize no wrongs
D remedy, would merely mean that tn
nation had embarked on a feveris
r course of violent oscillation whic
4 would be fraught with great tempo
A AIRY trouble and would produce n
8 adequate good in the end. The tru
Q friend of reform, the true foe OF abu