The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-08-20
TUESDAY. AUGUST 20, 1907.
Good manners are mnde mp of
petty sncrinccs.-Emcrso
SECRETARY TAFyrs spEEcH.

SECRETARY TAFrs SPEECH.
1t has been we'll understood that
Secretary Taft was in accord with
the President in his general policy in
respect to railroads and trusts, and
in his speech at Columbus, Ohio last
night the Secretary so declared in no
uncertain terms.
If 1t is believed by anybody that the
railroads have been guilty Of allow
Ing rebates, and 1t being true. as
Secretary Taft states, that the Elkins
bill in it's vindlcatory clause was In
efficient to correct this evil, then it is
not surprising, nor indeed unreason
able, that other provisions should be
made sufficiently forceful t. stop the
great evil. The onl.- just complaint.
as we see 1t, that can be made TO what
the President has done. and what Mr..
Taft approves, is that there seems TO
be spirit of animosity against in
dividuals and corporations for past
practices which no longer prevail, and
the tendency to punish the innocent
with the guilty, and thereby to pro-
duce feeling OF unrest. anxiety, and
indeed terror, which no wise ruler
should desire to Go. The great trouble
has heen that the Roosevelt policy has
stirred up a demagogic and irrational
procedure against railroads. which is
doing great harm, and which the Pres
attI
unable to stop.
On the whole. Mr. Taft's speech is
that of an able man who states his
views clearly. and II has some good
Democratic doctrine in 1t. He is in
faior of an income tax and a grad
uated income tax and says that "al-
though the income tax has been de-
clared unconstitutional, it is not free
from doubt; how the Supreme Court
with changed, membership would view
new income tax law under certain
conditions" and says that he would
favor a change In the Constitution au-
thorizing Federal income tax. with
all the incidental influence of grad
uated inheritance tax. 1t certainly
sounds very badly for man like Sec
rotary Taft, who has himself been a
judge. to contemplate the possibility
of packing the Supreme Court of the
United States for a change of the con-
Itruction of the Constitution. 1t was
his suggestion in the Democratic
platform of 1886 that gave offense to
go many thoughtful and conservative
men. When a decision of the Supreme
Court has once been made touching a
.onstituuonar question like the income
tax, 1t should remain the immutab bic
law until the Constitution itself is
changed by the method provided In
the Constitution. That is the doctrine
that should be unuuestionably the
American doctrine. and any other pro-
cedure would make the Constitution
as plant as Wax. Favoring as we DC
an income tax, when the tariff shall
have been properly revised and re-
duced, we resent the suggestion thai
the Constitution Is TO be shifted about
hNtoiulbS W tlit PERSONNEL OIL the Su
preme Court, that personnel being the
creation of the President. The Suprem,
Court has never recovered from TIL,
shock which 1t received by It's change
Of construction of the Constitutio,
touching the legal tender qualities o
greenbacks, accomplished by the APP
pointment of Judge. Bradley and Judg
Strong. We want no more OF 1t.
Mr. Taft properly ridicules Mr.
Bryans scheme Of national referendum
In regard to the tariff. Mr.. Taft &C
knewledges the tendency OF a hig
protective tariff to create monopol!e.
He says:
"Whenever the tariff imposed
largely in excess of the differer
Il tial between the cost of produt
tion in the two countries, then ther
Is formed at once great temptatio
10 monopolize the business of produe
Ing the principal profit and TO tax
advantage of profit in an excessi,
Tariff
That is good Democratic dos
trine, and what the Democrats ha,
always insisted upon. The contentic
Of even such a Republican as Mr.. Ia