Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-10-20

selt-reSpeCt.
MIR. TAFT does not think the Republican
lFl party is dead; he does think that the So
called progressive movement is fading away,
and that the G. o. p. when rid of certain
membranes will come back refreshed and
strengthened by the hardships and misunder-
standings through which it has passed. lie
has no political ambition that has not been
fully gratif1ed and he is not looking to any
thing like leadership; but he believes In the
principles of the party and that man Will
be found who will lead up the hosts out of
their present wandering in the wilderness.
He bases his hope and belief in what has
happened since the Democrats came into
power and believes that. after a fair trial
with undisputed control of both the execu-
tive and legislative branches Of the Govern
ment, the people will realize that the largest
prosperity of the country will be served by
the restoration of his party to power. One
of the finest things about his course since
he left the White House is that he has not
INDUCED in any captious criticism of his
successor in office, but, on the contrary has
on frequent occasions and whenever the op-
portunty presented itself spoken with warm
approval of the Presidents course in big
things-in his management of his party ma
jority In both houses of Congress, for eR-
ample in such success as has attended the
pacificaton of Mexico; in his splendid de-
termination to avoid any entangling alliances
in the present warning situation in Europe;
in the cleverness Of his official papers; In
the persistence with which he has pursued
his policies, not that these policies in Mr..
Tafts opinion are economically sound, but
because the President is keeping his head
and asserting his leadership.
TT MIGHT have been something like this II
1Mr. Taft had driven his team in the same
inexorable way; the difference was that he
did not have the same sort of team to
drive, and in a number of vital instances
they would not even follow. There were
Aldrich and Cannon and Penrose for illus
traton, who were not in very high favor at
one time with the Taft Administration, and
who were much dstrusted by their party
associates, but who were really the only in
struments available for work the President
regarded as necessary to the public welfare;
and to them and their likes he compelled
to resort when he wanted to do essential
things. The fault was in the party, and not
in the President, and the party is paying for
1t today in way that has caused widespread
distress In an army Of the politically unem-
ployed. Mr.. Taft, however, does not re-
DrOaCn any one, lie mas a Hne sense OF
humor and only laughs it off" when any Of
the mourners come in from the streets to
say they sorry.
MIR. TAFT will be here nearly all of this
1Vl week. attending the American Bar AS
socation. He believes that, whatever the
political complexion of the Administration,
the courts should be kept clear of the hust-
ings and that the Law should be above the
Mob; that party reasons should not control
in the appointment of men to the bench; that
character and learning and experience and
a sense of justice should determine the fit
ness of those who sit in judgment, and not
party section or pull.
MIR. TAFT is Jealous above all else of the
1Sl character of the judiciary. His judicial
appointments were almost invariably good
They were in no instance political appoint
ments. He speak now on the subject
without fear of misunderstanding his mo-
tives, as he is out of politics.
RANDALL