The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-06-04
As President Taft Sees himself

i New York Times: What shall We
do with our ex-presidents? There is
one man who has solved the question.
i The ex-president is usually some
what pathetic figure. He cannot. or
at least he usually does not, see his
4 way to taking a part in public affairs
that will not lessen the dignity that
attaches to his former office, and yet
/ it does not seem fitting that he
should sink out OF sight. He can't
start dry goods store, on the one
hand, and he can't run for sheriff, on
the other.
Ex-President Taft thinks he has
found way to continue in the serv,
ice of the nation without holding
office. There is, perhaps, wide mis-.
understanding of what it is that he
is doing. He has not retired from life
to a cloister. No less than ex-Presi-
dent Roosevelt, he is continuing in
private life his battle for the same
Ideas for which he fought when he
was in office; and. like Mr.. Roosevelt,
he has a field in which to fight for
them. OF course. they are not the
same ideas in both cases but then.
Mr.. Taft is generally supposed to
be teaching class in college, He
will 1t Is true, occupy the Kent chair
of constitutional law at Yale. but he
hasn't done it yet. That will come
next fall.
! Meanwhile he is delivering lectures,
not only in Yale, but in other univer-
stiles, not only to students but to
anybody who will come and hear him,
on the direct lines of the issues now
before them for some years to come.
| He regards the battle as Joined be-
tween two different conceptions OF
government, and he has chosen as his
work the direction of the understand
/ ing of young men toward the concep
ton which he regards as the right
| one.
The Two Sides.
On the one side is the conception
OF direct popular rule, which finds its
expression in the agitation for the in
! itiatiye. the recall. the referendum.
the direct primary, and similar prof
ects, all directed toward the one end.
On the other, as Mr.. Taft sees it, is
the conception of representative gov
eminent
The lines are clearly drawn. end
he considers the struggle as one of
vast Importance to American institu-
tons. He is enlisted in it now just
as he was when he was in the white
house.
His predecessor chose, as his medi-
UNI for influencing public opinion in
/ this struggle, the editorial columns OF
a weekly newspaper. Mr. Taft has
chosen to direct the minds of young
men by placing before them the mean
i ing of the contest and influencing
them SO far as he can on the side
which he believes to be the right one.
He Likes Yale.
His enjoyment of his new sur
roundings is evident. He has grown
/ several years younger since he laid
down the cares of office His eye is
brighter and clearer, and his whole
appearance improved. 1t cannot be
! said that he walks with more elastic
step. for he was always Iight-footed
and springy. No man OF his weight
ever carried 1t better
1--WE been accommodating library
/ if,rf I,a
said. II am trying to prepare myself
for a professorship. You can't change
from one side of life to another with
out good deal of work
Its twenty-eight years since I took
up official responsibility, and it's
really great relief to lay it down. l
didn't realize how my nervous system
had been working till went down to
Augusta. went there and played
golf, with not a thing to worry about.
and really 1t was a sort of revelation
to me-"
He looked it. too. But aside from
the relief he spoke of he is getting an
enjoyment of more positive sort; he
is looking on a spectator at the Off
cial and politicai doings OF the field
he has just left and getting as much
glee out of 1t as boy at a circus.
He is having for the first time the
sensation of being looker-on at a
play where he has been behind the
scenes
I'm having the fun OF being the
man up tree" he said. He thinks
President Wilson has made good be-
ginning got off on the right foot. /"
as he expresses it-and that the whole