The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. THURSDAY, JULY 23, 1908. THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2250, 23 July 1908, Page 2

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. THURSDAY, JULY 23, 1908. THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY.

The announcement that Mr. Taft lias refused to accept contributions from tlie Trusts in connection with his Presidential campaign' throws an interesting light upon the state of public feeling in the United States ■at the present time. T-n the past, the various corporations, whose 'huge financial operations -have practically swayed the financial destinies, have been in tlio habit of furnishing the bulk of the money which has boon required to prosecute the campaign of the Republican Party, and in this respect the Democrats have obviously been at a great disadvantage. Naturally these grants, amounting (o hundreds of thonsuuds of dollars, woro not given without some sort of an understanding that a quid pro quo should result. In other words, it was never expected that a President, elected under such conditions would make any serious effort to .introduce railway reform or to amend the tariffs whereby the trusts live. When Mr. Rooswelt was conducting his- campaign four years ago, it was generally believed that be had refused to accept contributions from the Trusts, but that his campaign manager, the astute Mr. Cortelyou, had made use of large sums of money obtained from the corporations and used without his chief’s knowledge or authority. Later, some of these facts came out during the hearing of -the Insurance scandals, and it was subsequently reported that.Mr Roosovelt ordered the money to be returned. It was well known that- the Democratic Party had the use of largo sums of money from Wall Street to secure the election of Judge Parker, a- candidate who was not likely to he in any degree active against the privileges of vested interests. On the present occasion, however, we have the curious spectacle of both Republicans and Democratic candidates refusing to accept the backing of t-lie Trusts. Tile moral is obvious, and it is apparent that tlio American people are at last fully alive to the seriousness of their position, and will no longer tolerate dollar-made -politics in the election of the highest representative in the greatRepublic. Whether Mr. Taft or Mr. Bryan be elected it will 1 bo pleasing to know that the new President will enter office entirely free from the blighting influences of tlio corporations whoso active interference in politics is such a- menace to the country;.