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Show VIEWS OP MR. TAFT. Former Presidont William Uoward Taffc has written an artlclo on "Tho Future Fu-ture of the Republican Party," which occupies the place of honor in the current cur-rent issuo of tho Saturday Evening Post. After a thorough analysis of existing political conditions and a review re-view of tho campnign of 1012, Mr. Tait orrlvos at tho conclusion that the Republican Re-publican party can stand temporary defeat; de-feat; that tho important thing to do is to prevent the Progressives, under the leadership of Roosevelt, from seizing the reins of government and driving the country toward Socialism. Mr. Tait doos not concede the ro-elecrion ro-elecrion of Woodrow "Wilson in 1916; indeed, ho would not bo surprised to see tho Democracy unhorsed in the congressional elections this fall, even though the country has escaped tho panio regarded as certain to follow the passage of the tariff and currency 1)1115. It is plain that tho 'former president is not highly optimistic as to tho chances of Republican victory either thia year or two years henco, yet at tho samo time it is apparent that ho bollevoa that if the members of tho paTty wore to get together success at tho polls would follow. Ex-President Taffc, owing to his long servico on tho federal bench, is in the habit of looking at any given question from every possible anglo before reaching reach-ing a conclusion and announcing his decision. de-cision. Consequently when he states his viow3 he is able to back them up with an array of incontrovertible facts that must carry conviction, except in times of hysteria, such as the United States has been passinc through during the last few years, an hysteria does not ap pear to have entirely spent its force. It is quite apparent that Mr. Taft believes be-lieves that bo long as the voters of the countrj' continue to discuss fantastic theories of government and follow tho leadership of men who gravely propose to 'achieve the impossible, tho Republican Republi-can party, which brought tho country safely througlrfour years of-one-of tho most tcrriblo civil waTH of history and advanced it to tho very front rank among tho civilized nations of tho world, must be content to wait until such times as reason is again enthroned before taking tho helm. Mr. Taft does not deceive himself and makes no attempt to deceive those who beliovo with him that with three parties in tha-ficld tho Democrats cannot can-not bo dislodged, even though a majority ma-jority of the voters do not subscribe to a single tenet of the Democratic doctrine, doc-trine, and are ontircly without faith in the ability of tho present administration administra-tion to successfully carry out a programme pro-gramme of constructive legislation. He is pessimistic to that cxtont. But the former president is not without with-out hope that those who bolted tho Republican Re-publican party in 10J2 for causes which happily no longer exist will return to the fold and exchango blow for blow with tho common enemy. Ho poiuts out that tho Progressive party is disintegrating; disinte-grating; that many of tho ardent supporters sup-porters of Colonel Roosevelt favor reuniting re-uniting with the old party, and that tho by-elections have shown that even though, tho Republicans be defeated the Progressives cannot possibly wiu. Au examination of the -returns from the Secoud congressional district of lown, where au election was held Inst Tuesday, proves the former president a true prophet in U113 regard, Tho Democratic Demo-cratic candidate was elected. That party, however, cast only 66 per cent of its voj;e for Governor in 1912, tho Republicans Re-publicans cast 87 per cent, while the Progressives "brought up tho rear with 31 per cent. Tho total vote was 08 per cent of that cast two years ago. Surely sane Progressives must see the hopelessuess of their propaganda. "Whother they return to their old allegiance al-legiance or not. however, will not affect tho ultimate destiny of thu Republican party, according to the views set forth by Mr. Taft, who, after recounting specific instances where tho safoty and prosperity of the couutry depended upon its success, sets forth the great work it must accomplish when it is returned re-turned to power, and ho has not the least doubt that it will bo called back when Teason resumes its sway, The work tho Republican party ,mnst do, and which it alono is capable of doing, is summed up by Mr. Taft as follows: Ve must direct our energies toward to-ward tho amendment of thu present banking and currency act that slmll furnish an elastic medium automatically automat-ically adjusting lteelf to the needs of business, without giving too arbitrary ar-bitrary control to the government: a-wIfo a-wIfo Hyalem for conservation of our national reijources; the reform of Judicial Ju-dicial proceduro: eliminating Its delays de-lays nnd reducing Its coat; the greater supervision or the bualnesrf of und Issuo of securities by corporations In Interstate business, and tho continued enforcement of thi; nntl-trust lav; lawa providing workmen's compensation compensa-tion for Interstate railroad companies com-panies and regulating tho relations between them nnd their employees, to prevent strikes, so far aa possible, and to eecuro safoty In operation for the public and tho employees; the tiiklng of nil local federal offlcors and all but department headn and under-jsecretnrlca under-jsecretnrlca out of politico by putting them In the classified tcrvlcc; the improvement of rivers and harbors by a tompk ted plan, and a Invee sya-lert, sya-lert, fur III" .Mlsalfrflppl: tho cjuiet-iwu cjuiet-iwu of 1 1 ) ot I I Liws for t' o Jh tri' ' of Columbia, ns to tlio control of public, utilities; tho maintenance of the public health, on the use of child labor, tho regulation of tonomcnt-houso tonomcnt-houso construction, Investigation and arbitration of labor disputes, and ilia conduct of vocational education, of playgrounds, and of charltablo and penal Institutions; the enlargement of the buroaii of education Into a means of publishing to tho world the exact condition of education In every state, with a vlow to stimulating much needed progress In thorough primary and vocational training; tho stimulation of the merchant marine; tho creation nnd maintenance of a permanent tariff commission, with adequate power to report tho facts as to tho operation of tho tariff; tho adoption of a budget system nnd a plan for making government administration admin-istration economical and efficient; tho maintenance of an adequate army and navy.' the conferring on the federal fed-eral government power to perform our treaty obligations to aliens by punishing those who violate them; tho adoption and pursuit of a foreign - policy that shall glvo us lnfluenco to aid China nnd our American neighbors neigh-bors in maintaining Just and peaco-ful peaco-ful governments, Tho above programme embraces a wido range. It takes in all tho crying needs of tho hour and provides for tho futuTO welfaro of all classes. It ia progressive pro-gressive to tho highest degreo without the leaBt pretence of boing superhuman. Moreover, it is a programmo to which all Republicans and former Republicans who now call themselves Progressives can heartily subBcribo. "Will tho deluded followers of Colonel Roosovolt liston to tho voice of reason while yet there is time? |
