Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1908-09-25
The Candidates With Their Hearty Strong Abroad the

cause for an Injunction. II an in
Junction issues In an Industrial dis
pute, 1t must be based upon acts
which would justify an Injunction if
there we're no industrial dispute in
volved. There is nothing ambiguous
about it; there is nothing that can
be misconstrued or misinterpreted,
even by one desiring to find doub-
lie meaning. Why do the republican
leaders attempt to read ambiguity
into tohse words? Simply because
they cannot meet the proposition pre-
sented. Even Mr.. Taft attempts to
avoid the issue by saying that mo
one has ever maintained that the
fact that a dispute was industrial
gave any basis for the issuing of
an Injunction in reference thereto"
If it is true that no one now main
tains that, then why find fault with
our platform on that subject? If no
body opposes our position, we ought
to have no difficulty in securing the
passage Of a law in harmony with
/ this plank.
| Upon the jury question Mr.. aft
clearly takes issue with us. He is
thoroughly aroused by what he re-
CARDS as a menace to the courts.
Here is his lament:
Never in the history Of the coun-
TRY has there been such an insidlous
attack upon the judicial system as
the proposal to interject a jury
/ trial between all orders of the court
made after full hearing and the en-
forcement of such orders"
This would come under the head
of important if true But the fact
is, our platform specifically declares
that we favor measure which pass
ed the United States Senate in 1896,
and which a republican Congress has
ever since refused to enact" ETC.,
providing for trial by jury in cases
of indirect contempt. Are not the
proceedings of the United States
Senate part of the history OF the
country? This measure passed the
United States Senate more than II
years ago, and the vote upon
it was so nearly unanimous that no
roll call was demanded. The bill was
not smuggled through without dis
! cussion. 1t was amended "a opel
Senate and the members Of the Sch
ate had ample opportunity to UNDER
stand it. 1t would have passed Cong
ress and become law long ago but
for the fact that a few large corp0-
rate employers of labor have kept
a lobby in Washington ever since and
have been able to coerce Congress in
to ignoring the laboring mems plea.
Mr.. Taft is not an unbiased judge
where the jury system is under con-
sideration. He is not only known as
the father of government but iniunc-
ton, but he is prejudiced against the
jury system. Every man is unconsci
ously influenced by his environment,
and Mr.. Taft's long service upon the
bench has led him to underrate the
importance of the jury system. In
his address to the students of Yale,
eniled, "a Judge on the Bench" he
shows a decided leaning toward an
increase of the authority of the
Judge, and praises the procedure in
the federal court at the expense
of the western courts, even though
he admits that "the jury system pop
ularizes the court and gives the peo-
pie to understand that they have,
not only an interest, but also a part
in the administration of justice"
He has fallen into the error Of as
suming that any improvement in the
method of court procedure is an at
tack upon the authority Of the court.
This is an ancient method Of oppos-
ing reforms. Lord Macaulay had to
encounter a similar objection when
he favored the reform Of the rotten
borough system Of England, Those
who we're opposed to the reform con-
strued 1t as an attack upon the thron
and as a menace to the stability c.,
government, but thereform was Sc
cured and the governmnet Of Eng
land was improved rather than i'm
paired. So the reform attempted by
the Senate twelve years ago. and en-
dorsed by three democratic national
conventions Is in the interest Of
Justice and has for its object the
strengthening Of the court In public
estimation.
It Is not a reflection upon the judgt
Of a criminal court to say that he
shall not decide upon the guilt Of
the accused. Our criminal courts
are the better, not the worse, for
the substitution Of trial by Jury. No
common law judge feels that It is a
reflection unon him when a narty To