The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19. AMERICAN POLITICS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 163, 19 October 1910, Page 4

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19. AMERICAN POLITICS.

The political machines of the United States are at the moment running full bore and the bearings are white hot. It will be interesting to observe whether the machine or the man dominates the situation. Republicans and Democrats in the United States are ranged in two camps, in which, the dispositions are made with profound care and infinite attention to detail. It is remembered that President Taft, Republican, rode to victory on a wave of great public popularity. The public were assured that the victory for the Republican Party meant in reduced tariff and the hitting of the where they lived. The moneygrabs were so well organised, so full of pocket, and so keen on their interests that they fought the fight of their lives. The Payne-Aldrich tariff was the result. The Republicans were not able to hit the dollar interest as heavy a blow as they desired. Thereafter Mr. Taft's stock slumped woefully. The people looked for slain millionaires and didn't find any, and the Democrats won seat after seat at bye-elections. The United States are the size of Europe and contain 80 times the population of New Zealand. Hence the frequent byeelections. The "insurgent" Republicans revolted in Congress; Mr. Taft countered by putting through some diplomatic and excellent legislative reforms, and the succeeding "Taft rally" was a wildly successful piece of machine management that boosted the President to an altitude of popularity that seemed to guarantee him comfort in the White House. The position at the congressional elections will be highly interesting. The people will desire to see what the "insurgent" Republicans will do, and whether the Republicans who did not "butt in," but who -were just plain Taft-ites, will be stronger than the other "wing." Congress itself is getting tired of the party machine and its power. There have been revolts against its crushing power. Mr. Roosevelt is probably having the time of his life. Although the "machine" beat him in his own State, New York, he has invaded country where the people have kicked against the "boss" rule that uses people to earn dollars with and I paves railroads and factories with slain slaves. It was announced a while ago that Mr. Roosevelt when lie invaded Indiana would speak for that stout Republican Beveridge, but it has been seen that the ex-president is so masterful and masterly in his sledge-hammer methods that people have momentarily forgotten the lesser man in admiration of the greater. It was also said (and probably the "machine" said it) that Mr. Roosevelt had quarrelled with Mr. Taft, that as he had been "ousted" in New YorkState, but had had enormous success in his campaign that he might definitely lead the "insurgent" Republicans in the campaign. The simple facts seem to be that Mr. Taft .and Mr. Roosevelt are fighting for the same goal; that as it was by Mr. Roosevelt's influence Mr. Taft became President, so will his great influence give the President much help now. There was a weird rumor that Mr. Roosevelt intended to create a new party altogether antagonistic to both Republican and Democratic machines. But if what one is able to judge of the characters of the two leaders by a study of their work and their statements, it is inconceivable that men having the same objects in view can be antagonistic. President Taft, in speaking of the PayneAldrich tariff, said it was a failure. That extortionate profits can no longer be tolerated he agreed. Under these circumstances Taft and Roosevelt are fighting the same enemy. They both oppose "graft," trusts, combines, Tammanyism, the poisoning of the national life, and the crimes of the soulless machine. The making of peace between the two contending Republican elements is probably necessary for the carrying of the reforms both men are presumably bound to effect if possible. And if, seeing that Mr. Taft takes no part in the campaign, the strenuous Colonel can do the necessarj work, there's a good time coming for the people of the States as distinct from the persons who control dollars and life and death in the land of the screaming eaglet.