New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-03-02
THE TAFT ADMINISTRATION.

it shall be
THE TAFT ADMINISTRATIONS.
The calmer verdict of history VIII
probably do fuller justice 10 President
Taft'S administration than has been
done ii by contemporary opinion. Inc
judgment of the hour is too much III
fuenced 10y superficial results ana 'ii
the surface the administration now
ending has been. from the narrower
political point of view. scincWla'
clouded by failure The Republican
party has lost control ut Washington
and Mr.. Taft has himself manfuliy
admitted that some responsibility Tor
that loss is chargeable To his own lead
erShip
Yet il is only fair to say that the
President has been 10 Il great extent
the victim of untoward circumstances.
For politics i'm the strict sense he mas
no taste and little aptitude. and he
lacked al critical times the advice oil
acute and far-Seeing counSellors. More
over. the one notable political achieve
menl of bis term-thc negotiation OF
a reciprocity convention with Canada
and its approval by Congress was nlil-
lifted when the people of Canada re-
fused their assent. Mr.. Tafts recl-
procity policy was bold and original
He antagoniZed an influential elemen'
i'm his own party when he underlooh
10 broaden commercial relations win
the Dominion. but he had the country
behind him. and if the plan had gone
through the administration would nave
had to its credit AT least partial
breaking down of artificial barriers L"
trade along the northern border which
from the American point Of view. are
unnecessary and irksome.
Mr.. Taft's Canadian policy was en-
lightened and progressive. SO was MS
policy Of extending the scope of the
arbitration treaties with Great Britain
and France. But. although he also hau
the country with him on that. the Sen
ate blocked the way and destroyed al
chance of widening the basis oil inter
national arbitrationS and OF making
more remote the possibility OF clashes
leading 10 war Here again. through
no fault Of its own. the administration
failed 10 do something of farreachlng
benefit To the nation.
In the administrative field President
Taft did work which Will long ne re-
membered. He entered with zeal INTO
proiects for restoring efficiency ana
economy in the operations of govern
ment. lie infused new splrIt
into the management of the various
branches Of the governmental service
made the PoStofiice Department self
supporting for the first time III more
than thirty years and cut down eX'
pendihIre in most Of the other depart
mentS bv scientific reorganization. Tn
der pressure from him Congress began
Ia reduce OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
which il seemed 10 have lost all ca-
pacity for dOing-and il was not untll
he WAS defeated at the polls that the
Democratic majority in the House OF
Representatives Embossed once more
the fioodgates OF extravaganza.
MIR. Taft has been the especial cham
pion of a federal budget system. ana
Congress is now about to give hecd
10 his advice. Spurred by The spectacle
Of legislative decentralization which Tor
some months past has disguised the
couutrv. If a budget system is estaD-
liShed and federal expenditure * at last
nationally controlled. that important
reform will be one of the best legacieS
of the Taft administration.
If will also be to his credit that
President Taft put new vigor into the
enforcement Of the sherman antitrust
law. He sought 10 apply that law
without fear or favor. During his term
the law was finally clarified by series
of Supreme Court decisions ana IN"
policy of trying to restore conditions
Of open competition was firmly estao-
lished The incoming administration
seems inclined 10 adhere to il. HIS
wise leadership has helped greatly III
avoiding the dangerous alternative 81
recognizing the inevitableneSs Of mo
nopoly or trying TO regulate II IN
stead Of suppressing it. Through his
high sense of patriotic duty. his open
ness Of mind and freedom from partl-
san pettiness Mr.. Taft will rank high
i'm the list Of Presidents. He will grow
in stature as his administration re-
cedes and the embarrasSmentS from
which he suffered are better under
stood. His weakness was in non essen
tials. His virtues were fundamental
and appreciation of them will heighteh
with the passing years.