Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 216, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 September 1918 — U.S. FOREMOST PRIVATE CITIZEN [ARTICLE]

U.S. FOREMOST PRIVATE CITIZEN

OUR GREAT EX-PRESIDENT CONTINUES TO GROW IN PUBLIC FAVOR. <. The following editorial from the Indianapolis Star is in reference to America’s most beloved private citizen, who,' like many other of the great men of this country is back of the war and does not want peace until a decisive military victory has been won by the entente allies: A GOOD AMERICAN. The Hon. William Howard Taft has rapidly developed into a stern and war-like figure. When he became president, two or three years ago, of the League to Enforce Peace, not much was thought of it, and, though the name of the organization does not suggest pacifism, so many peace societies of an anti-war character came into existence along at that time that the names becamg confused in the public mind, and by a good many people it was only remembered that Mr. Taft was the head of some sort of peace society. But at no time has the former President manifested any. other than the sternest war spirit and since the United States entered the war he has been busy with speech and pen in promoting patriotic sentiment. He has apparently given up all other interests and occupations and is devoting himself to war service of the kind he can best do. Lately he took a house in Washington in order, it may be assumed, to be in the center of things.

Since the Austrian request for a peace conference was made" Mr. Taft addressed an immense audience on Boston Common. In the course of his talk he declared that we are at war with the whole German people, and that we must fight the war to a finish, beat Germany and the Gehnans to their knees and force them to an unccftiditional surrender on German soil. He also paid his respects to the Bolsheviki as murderous anarchists in the pay of Germany ana argued in favor of sending an army of at least 200,00 men to Russia.

It is good to see Mr. Taft take this attitude. Not that any one would ever have expected him to be other than soundly American, but when he was President he created the impression pf being a man too “easy going” to assert himself properly in an official way and so lost favor with many of his countrymen. His vigorous utterances in these days give a different impression of him, and he was perhaps never so popular as now, though with the sentiment of regard is mingled the regret that he did not manifest more of this fiery spirit when le was President. The course of history might have been changed if he had.