Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-01-25
Mr.. Taft ns a PHILOSOPHER

I y the roles of private citizen. professor of
1 law and adviser extra ordinary to the
American people. in which he is now appear
ing with such great success, William II. Taft
shines more efrulgently. it may be said with
out unkindness than lie did i'll that of Presi-
dent of the United States.
The burdens of the presidential Office. the
petty details that demanded his attention, the
wrangles of the job hunters and the inces-
SAINT display of selfish motive, were certain to
have irkcd man of Mr.. Taft's temperament.
He possessed neither Mr.. Roosevelt's aggrcs-
sive force and disregard of means where
with opposition was beaten down and the
sought-fc- goal attained. nor Mr. Wilson's
capacity to detaCh himself from the sordid
aspects of political life. He chafed under
criticism-and not only Chafed but found
cred because his confidence in himself and
his star was less perfect than that OF either
his predecessor or his successor in the prcsi-
dency. That he was out of step also with
modern political impulses was mere agra
walton of his difficulties His failure was
constitutional and inherent.
Nowadays he is cast much moro happily.
and gives in consequence much more
finished and crediable performance In
Indianapolis the other day. in the course of
an address to the Legislature of Indiana. Mr..
Taft alluded to the vast increase in govern
mental functions within the last few years
and the tremendous additions thereby caused
TO the burdens of taxation. He expressed the
opinion that large share OF the burden is
due Ito the carecssness and extravaganza Of
men in Office and to loose and sla elk methods
OF doing business" II was his view that if
government, national. State and municipal. is
to compete with private enterprise. il must
adopt the methods of private enterprise.
Otherwise, he said, the government will ''bc
overwhelmed and taxation will increase. and
the burdens OF the people will SO increase in
that way that they will doubt the efficiency
and wisdom Of the new plan. These arc
statements of fact obviously true and yet so
commonly disrcgardcd in this country that
they cannot be repeated too often or with
too much emphasis.
In New York Saturday Mr.. Taft delivered
himself of his views on a topic apparently
distant from this matter of governmental ex-
pcnditurc, but which on closer inspection. is
found TO bear a close relation. He said:
believe every girl should bc trained
10 some occupation. which. If followed,
will make her independent OF marriage
means of support. . No Aincri-
can girl ought To- he obliged to marry
for living.
That is sound sense also When a girl
enters into marriage for a living" that
union as Mr. Taft says. carries within itself
the seed of separation For the individual
woman as we'll as mantle true ideal is
economic independence. Men and women
should stand upright So should govern
ments. They should not require public
bounty 10 conceal and repair their neficien-
cies. Wholly outside of the laws mandate
they ought TO demand public support, finan-
cal and otherwise, because they deserve it;
not plead for public charity because they
cannot get along without it,