Evening star., 1914-06-05

presidential campaign was the universal
reputation of the interests and the
universal claim to progressivism. The
TACT was recognized on all sides that the
so-called progressive doctrines are,
speaking broadly. favored by the people
OF the United States, and the effort of
each candidate was to convince the voters
that he was pre-eminently the truly pro-
gressive friend Of the people. The strug-
Gle was not between progressives and re-
dictionaries, but between radical and con-
servative progreSsives. We were all pro-
gressives, and the advance of public SEN
timent Is as steady in progressivism as
in growth of nationalism and the national
sentiment. The individual is to have
steadily more weight and more power;
corporations, artificial persons. aggre-
gated individuals, are constantly to lose
power.
But the American people are progress
sive thoughtfully and deliberately, not
rashly. impulsively and to radical eX-
tremes: and the politicians problem Is
to locate that point in radicalism at
which reaction will assert itself with the
average American. and public sentiment
will abruptly check itself and swing
backward.
The Winning Presidential Candidate
The rule of conservatism in radicalism
applies both to issues and to candidates.
thus it may reasonably be predicted that
In the next presidential election which
ever party calculates most accurately the
particular stage or phase of progressiv-
ism that represents the American peo-
pies average opinion and average wish on
the subject. and which occupies this
posltion and vantage point most quickly
and defends it most vigorously, with a
presidential candidate who stands unmis-
takably for this average American senti-
ment, without either falling short or
stopping over" will win the campaign
Of 1916 in so far as the battle is decided
on the issue Of progressivism.
Applying this principle, the presidential
candidate, to be successful, must typify
conservative progressivism and suffer q
| minimum OF handicaps. For instance II
| union he must be neither Of the badly
defeated candidates in the recent election
who In a personal quarrel divided and
almost destroyed the progressive repub.
ican party. He must be neither too rad
| ical for the moderate conservative. moi
too conservative for the moderate rad.
icaL He must be embarrassed neither
| by the popular prejudice against reac.
| ttonary or anarchistic tendencies, nor by
| popular hostility to a third presidential
term. Though neither Taft nor Roose.
Welt, he must receive the support Of bott
| OF them, or at least of a large percentage
| of the millions of followers Of each in tn.
1912 campaign.
An unhandfcapped and therefore sue
cessful democratic candidate must hav,
the support Of both the Bryan and anti
Bryan camps. He must be neither reac
| tionary nor anarchisdc. Without Bryan
| financial heresies and his radical doc
| trines coDcerning government ownership
Of public utilities. he must command tn,
| hearty Bryanite support.
| This practical application of New Zea
land hints to American politics seem
with unparalleled presumption to ba
| the future presidential candidates. o
Taft, Roosevelt and Bryan.
According to the political horoscop
thus cast, Taft is not again to be Presi
dent, but If he lives until his party re
gains power he is to be a justice of tn,
Supreme Court Of the United States
where his great judicial ability will
serve the republic well and where as
permanent resident of Washington h
| can enjoy Chevy Chase golf and tn,
social environment of a community whicl
| thoroughly appreciates him.
| Is it absolutely necessary that the de
| mocracy go out of power before thi
destiny may be fulfilled? Taft has all tn
qualities which fit him for this higl
Office. When President he drew no par
tisan lines in his own judicial appoint
ments. He elevated democrats to the su
preme bench and made a democrat Chic
Justice. Perhaps there will be, through
President Wilson's nomination of Taft a
justice, reciprocity in non-partisan judi
cial appointments.
incidentally and unintentionally his ap
pointment would be graceful apprecia