Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-01
TAFT TO THE LAWYERS
Address Before the Brooklyn
Bar Association.
NOT A POLITICAL SPEECH
Dwelt Very Largely on Constitution
al Law. :
TOUCHED ON STATE RIGHTS
Thinks Division Of Power With the
Government Has Been Admir-
ably Maintained.
TOUCHED ON STATE RIGHTS

NEW fOHh, FEBRUARY 29.-Elements OF
things political did not enter into the
speech delivered by Secretary Of War
Taft tonight at the annual dinner Of the
Brooklyn Bar Association at the Union
League Club, Brooklyn. and suiting his
talk to the occasion he expounded his
views. on ''The Constitution OF the United
States" In an address often broken by
applause from his big audience of law
yers. The Secretary carefully avoided
any reference to politics and confined
himself to the subject matter of his adj
dress.
Secretary Taft declared that he did not
share In the views expressed by critics on
the change which has come over our
form Of government by the increase Of the
national and the decrease. of the state
powers under the Constitution.
Division Of Power.
Il think on the WHOLE" he said that
the division Of power between the United
| States and the states has been admirably
maintained. and that this has been posi-
Bile because 1t has been ultimately left in
most instances to the decision of a tri-
bunal less subject to political influences
than any other branch of our govern
ment. and with opportunities for MAIN
tanning consistent view from the foun-
datlon of our government to the present
day greater than that enjoyed by any
other authority In either state or national
government. II is quite true that in GER
tain ways the national power has been
increased by amendment to the Consti-
tuition not affirmatively, but by placing
m hn
the state OF it's admitted power over GER
tain subject natter
The Secretary expressed the conviction
that it was plainly in the power of Con-
gress to provide by law for protection Of
aliens in their treaty rights In this con-
nection he said: -
Certainly Congress ought 10 take some
steps directly authorizing the executive to
the treaty rights of such aliens and ought
TO vest the courts of the United States
with power to punish the person who
would violate such alien rights.
Malta Outbreak.
In the case Of the Malta riots in Lou
isiana. where Italian subjects were de-
pri~ed of rights secured by the treaty
OF the United States and in the more re-
cent cases In San Francisco where Japa-
nese subjects were deprived of their rights
by lawless violence. the embarrassment OF
the national government in attempting to
protect and vindicate those rights is
known to all men
III puts our country. now become a world
power. and entering into treaties of this
KIND with every government on earth. In
the most pusfflanlmous position of proInis-
ing that subjects of any, country shall be
properly treated and then of having no
means of carrying out the promise. or of
furnishing those who violate 1t. Fancy the
fn.Atj rNO ,f TO-
obliged to say to a foreign country: 1T
is true. We agreed to protect your citizens
or subjects Ii they came over here and
conducted themselves peaceably. but under
our form OF government and laws, while
we made that promise. and had right
to make 1t, we have no means Of COM
plying with il. All we can do Is to make
a respectful presentation to the state au-
thorities and ask them as favor to US
to enforce the laws.
Negro Education Fund.
If Turkey or China were to make such
an excuse as that to US for the killing or
mobbing of our citizens in those countries
should we not become justly indignant
at the explanation? A foreign nation has
nothing to do with our internal concerns.
BY the constitution a foreign nation Is
obliged to look to the central government
and that central government can make
promise, it can only look to the central
government for redemption of the prom
'se. We are In a situation now to say to
our foreign friends whose citizens may be
assaulted or murdered In violation OF
treaty obligations. I'VE can soothe your
feelings by paying out Of the government
treasury the value OF those lives, but we
cannot save them. We cannot punish
anybody for taking Them / confess that
this lack of federal power, due wholly to
inaction by Congress, savors of that doc
trine which attracted SO much rideule
when 1t was advanced that 1t was uncon-
stitutional for states to secede, but was
also unconstitutional for the central gov
eminent to try to coerce hem"
Secretary Tat was this afternoon elected
member Of the new board of trustees
of the Jeanes' fund Of $l.OO0.O0 which Is
to be used to lay the foundation Of fur
ther negro education in the south.