Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-08-29
COURTS ALL RIGHT
Judge Taft's Reply to Recent
Criticisms by Governors.
CHARGES OF UsURPATIoN DENIED.

No Attempt Either to Protect Corporation.
Destroy Organized Labor-Reforms
Needed Must Come from the People, Not
from the COurts-Debs' Strike Declared a
Nuisance-The Tendency to Socialism,
Governor Altgeld Criticised.
DETROIT, Aug. 29-Immcdiately upon
thc reasscmbling Of the American Bar as.
sociation Judge William II. Taft. of the
United states circuit court, began the de-
livery of the annual address of the associa-
tion. He said in part that within the last
four years the governors of five or more
states had thought it proper in their OFF,
cial messages - declare that the federal
courts had seized jurisdiction not rightly
theirs and exercised it to the detriment Of
the republic, and TO urge their respective
legislatures to petition congress for RENE
dial legislation TO prevent future usurpa-
ton. The principal charge against the
federal courts which an examination Of
these documents disclosed was that the
courts had ilagrantly usurpcd jurisdiction,
first 10 protect corporations and perpctuatc
their many abuses, and second to oppress
and destroy the power of organized labor.
liza, no Objection to Fair Criticism.
The right and opportunity freely and
publicly TO criticisc judicial action was
beneficial in proportion as it was fair and
Gispa ;sionHtcly discriminating and based
on knowledge Of sound legal principles.
While professional criticism was highly
useful, non professional criticism was by
no means without its uses, even if it We're
accompanied By II direct attack on the
judicial fairness and motives of the occui-
pants of the bench. He believed that the
governors who were the chief accuscrs Of
the federal Judiciary were merely putting
into language the hostile feeling of certain
of their constituents toward the federal
courts, and but for such feeling the criti-
cisnS would hardly have been uttered. He
quoted the enforcement of the fugitive
slave law before abolition. and the pro-
lection of the negro in his electoral and
civil rights sitter that event as historical
Instances showing how federal courts
might bc subjected 10 most severe criticism
without just grounds.
Reforms Must Come From the People.
The marvellous material development of
the last two generations, he said, had been
effected by the organization and enforced
cooperation of simple clements that for u
long time previous had been separately
used. The impcrsonal character uf cor
pUrdtiOns afforded u freedom from rc-
straint in the corrupt use of money to Sc
cure undue business advantages from leg
islativc and executive sources, and thus
many of the political agencies of the pco-
pic. had become tainted. The prospect of
iil7rU;t,n gains. attracted the dishonest
fSrkstCr into politics and dcbauChcd tho
weak, while the honest and courageous
wcrc often driven into private life. The
reforms uf such wrongs must come from
the people, not from the courts.
Corporations Are Indispensable.
an spite ui these wcll-known evils"
ssid the judge nothing can bc clearer to
n calm, intelligent thinker than that un-
der conditions of modern society. corpora
tions are Indispensable, both to the matcri-
al progress 90 this country and to the
maintenance y. what we have. The evils
must b. ryiuCdiCd. but not by destroying
one of the greatest Instruments for good
that social man has DEVISED. While social
ism has not obtaiucd much of n foothold
In this country, schemes which are social
istic il nature are accepted planks in the
platform of "a political party. their
underlying principle being that ii is the
duty of the government to cqUaliZc the
inequalities which thy rights Of free CON
tract and private prop rty have brought
about AMI TO afford occupation and sustcn-
ancc to the poor by an outlay, derived, as
far rs possible from The rich.