Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1903-01-09
Attention, htilyneAsr.
of Boston!
Many Minds on the
Trust Question
Judge Taft on the Su-
preme Bench
Presto, Change!

lives VI president OF the OnltCQ states
is to appoint federal judges. especially
the justices of the supreme court. To
the honor Of all concerned. the judges of
the most powerful tribunal on earth
have, as a rule. been men of great ca
pacity and highest character. The his
tory of the legal tender decisions is not
pleasant reading. The part played by
the supreme court judges i'll the Hayes
Tilden contest brought Nle court into
disrepute. The decision in the income
tax cases is a blot upon our jurispru-
dence. The recent decisions touching
our insular possessions are a discredit
to the court. But. taken all in all. tlie
people have been well pleased with
their judicial servants OH the supreme
bench.
The Washington Times states-and, it
says, by authority-that in February,
when he shall have reached the age of
seventy and shall have served ten years,
the prerequisites for retiring OH full
pay, Mr.. Justice Shiras will retire and
that Hon. William II. Taft. governor
general Of the Philippines. will be APP
pointed in his stead. 'Tis well. Judge
Shiras has been under cloud ever
since he turned that remarkable and
historic somersault in the income tax
cases, and the sooner he seeks the
shades of private life the better Gov
ernor Taft is a man of splendid capaci-
ty and great learning in his profession.
At the earnest solicitation of President
Mckinley he resigned a life position ON
the circuit bench of the United States
to accept the hazardous position-haz-
ardous to both life and eputation-of
governor general of the philippines, and
it is only truth to state that he has dis
charged his difficult, delicate and null
hilarious duties with signal ability.
When the Chinese exclusion bill was
being considered by the house commit
tee OH foreign affairs, most remark
able array Of distinguished witnesses
and advocates appeared TO testify or to
argue-great lawyers, great editors, SEN
ators, governors, preachers, philanthro-
pists, congressman and one cX-cabinet
minister-but the most distinguished in
appearance and in bearing was Gov
ernor Taft.
When ! was a boy down in the hill
country Of Kentucky, l knew an old
rough and. ready country doctor who
declared that he Judged people by
their flesh marks So do we all,
though we may not be conscious of the
fact. That was the old DOCTORS way
J, Of stating that he was physiognomist,
though he may never have heard of
that high sounding scientific term.
Judged by Ibis flesh marks" Governor
Taft is worthy of the high position to
which he is called. 1t is said to have
been the intention of President McIkin-
ley to appoint him to the first vacancy,
President Roosevelt does we'll so to
honor him.
1t is u curious and interesting fact
that most Of the supreme judges are
large men physically. 1t has always
been so. Judge Taft IL a large man
has large body, large head. large
nose of the Julius Caesar pattern. He
Is a larger man, is taller and will weigh
Harlan, who is the best known of the
| judges now on the bench OF course
Governor Taft is a Republican. Other
wise he would not have received the
appointment. The chances are that lie
| will make a great reputation as ju-
| rist.
Hot Shot From Protection Paper.
The Washington Post is an independ-
ent journal, but one of the stanchest
protection advocates in the land. New
ertheless In speaking of what the Re-
pnblicans will do and will not do dur
ing the remainder of the short session
It rises to remark:
The pledges Of the party as to changes
in the Dingley schedules are and prob
ably will be unfulfilled. Schedules which
NE Dingley said We're "purposely made
tee high. to !eaye room for reduction
through reciprocal agreements are still
ht9e high" In fact. the tariff as It
stands today Ii net IN any fair sense the
Dingley tariff. for the reason that the
changes for which he provided In accord.
ance with Republican policy and Repub.
lican platformE have in no instance been
made. It Is tariff that Dingley. were he
living today, would be bound to condemn
win this congress. like its latest prede.
cessor. 'stand pat on such abuses OF pro.
lection as have created profound dissatis.
faction among the truest friends OF that
doctrine? Will 1t continue TO make capital
for the enemy? We think II WILL
desire to call the attention of my
renders to the concluding query and
answer: "Will It'll. G., this congress-
continue to make capital for the enc.
my? We think it will" This is corrob-
oratory evidence. strong and clear, Of
the assertions have heretofore made
repeatedly, that the trend is toward De.
mocracy and that Democrats have good
reason to be hopeful as to the future.
If Democrat had written the above
paragraph. all the whole hog tariff
advocates would initiate their lungs and
below, Free trade demagogy!" But
they will hardly assai the Post with
fheir billingsgate. It's record is unim.
peachaqb|e on the tariff question, and 1t
knoWs=p9ne betteFf-that one Of tho
chief causes Of Republican success last
November was the promise SO frequent
and emphatically made by Republicans
to revise the Dingley rates downward.
and 1t knows that that promise will not
pc Kept. 1t evidently knows another
thingwtp wit, that the failure on the
part Of Republicans to fulfil that
pledge is ''making capital for tie enc
my" So the merry war goes on in the
Republican camp. Out of it, let us
hope, viii come much good to the great
body Of the people.
The Post takes another fail ont Of tho
G. O. p. in an editorial headed How Is