South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-05-13
TAFT A. SAGE AND ROOSEVELT
AS WORMWOOD AND GALL.

that ex-PTest William Howard Taft.
& one OF the best ex-presidents this
country has ever had. Dislike his
administration as president as much
as you like. and disagree with him in
his stand -patism as much as you
please. yet you must admit that as an
ex-president he has proven himself
more patriot than partisan. just as an
ex-president should-and big enough
TO embrace in his purview. the ma
tionaI welfare i'm preference to parti-
san expedicncies
How different his address at Phil
adelphia, Tuesday night. following
that Of Pres't Wilson the night previ-
Gus. this in comparison with the fire
brand interview given out at Syracuse
by ex-Pres't Theodore Roosevelt. We
would like TO believe that Mr.. Roose-
Welt was misquoted from Syracuse.
Otherwise. rather than have his re-
marks given out with reference to the
presidents Philadelphia address, and
the German note pertaining to sub
marine blOckaJes, stand as the delib-
crate Judgment of n man who has
held the highest office in the land. it
would be better 20 ascribe it to his
crouch against being crowded off
from the front page Of the newspapers
for a few days, and a determination
To get back. no difference how.
True since the sinking OF the Lusi-
tania the Barnes Roosevelt libel suit
still in progress. has not brought the
ex-president the publicity that it did
formerly. His rabid interview, there
fore. due TO his international promi-
nence, and the effect it might have
upon international relations, and in
ternal equinamity should be charged
we would say, to his penchant for
publicity rather than TO his sound
judgment.
Pres't Wilson said at Philadelphia:
There is such "A thing as being
too proud 20 fight There is such
q thing as a nation being so right
that Ii does not need to use force
20 convince others that il is right.
Ex-Pres't Roosevelt comes back
from Syracuse this way.
The theory that force is not
necessary TO assert our rights pre-
sumeS that a policy Of blood and
iron can be met by "a policy of
milk and water, TO pursue which
course places us in exactly the
international position that China
now occupies.
And now this from ex-Prest Taft
speaking at Philadelphia:
We must proceed in this matter
with deliberation and caution. and
above all other things, stand by
Pres't Wilson. The patience and
pride o fthe American people can
be strained TO the breaking point
and that means war. bat haste
viii avail nothing. There Will be
time enough when the president
by sound dehberation has made
up his mind. our wrongs need
not be avenged Immediately. Let
us look into our own history Eng
land connived at fitting out arm
ed vessels to prey on our COM
meTce 10 attack our navy and to
kill our sailors. We protested
and what did we do them We
held her strictly accountable in
the Geneva conference. Was not
your honor as much preserved by
this method as II would have
been III we had declared ware
Safe and sane common sense 1t
explains what Pres't Wilson meant by
such a thing as being too proud TO
fight - 10y nation being so right
that il does not need to use force to
convince others that it is right" The
difference between the Taft and
Roosevelt attitudes is that Taft spoke
as "a sage while Roosevelt run mainly
To NORWOOD and sail II has mark
cd the difference in the attitudes of
the two men quite continuously since
each Of them left the white house. We
will not accuse Mr. Roosevelt of not be
Ing a patriot. or say that ne is insin-
cere. but the unumeliness of some of
his utterances renders them-not
much 20 his credit.
More than ever today the nation
needs TO DE thankful that the "thorne
in the flesh" OF Col Roosevelt-the
presence of Pres't Wilson in the white
house.-is there. Had the bull moose
uprising of two years ago been strong
enough 20 have elected Nfr. Roosevelt
the only assurance that we have that
We would not have been drenched in
blood long ago is that Col Roose-
velts bark has always been much
more dangerous than his bite. Great
exponent this. in espousing the cause
Of the people during campaign times
but we are hearins from syracuse just
now. incident 90 the Roosevelt Barnes
libel suit. as 10 whom he served after
setting into office IL president ne
might not be So ravenous as he talks
but. thanks % the fates we have not
needed 20 take that chance. Il is
good for Prest Wilson that the coun-
try has at least one ex-president pa
triotic enough 10 lend him his influ-
cnce and support.