The Somerset reporter., 1908-10-01
TAFT'S WORK IN CHINA
He RehabiIitated Our National
Reputation.
CHECKED COURT ABUSES.

Cleared the United States Banner
From the Dishonor That American
Criminals Had Brought Upon 1t.
Readjusted Consular Service.
1t was chiefly through the influence
and at the instigation Of Mr.. Taft that
the recent rehabilitation of our nation
al reputation In China was accomplish.
ed by the establishment of the United
States court In China. Until Mr. Taft
became a paramount figure in the far
east scandalous conditions had pre-
vailed In Shanghai and other cities of
China where the United States exer-
cised extra territorial rights. Undesir-
able subjects of the United States, men
and women. had degraded the Ameri-
can flag by using 1t as a cloak under
which to conduct numerous nefarious
enterprises. American sharpers, gam
blers and promoters of questionable
schemes had long worked in conjunc-
ton with discredited lawyers to their
mutual and illegal gain. In various
instances these criminal endeavors
were aided and abetted by American
consular officers, who were dismissed
from the service. The former practice
of adjudicating all causes in which
Americans were parties In consular
courts gave rise to abuses. The Amer
lean flag. In Shanghai particularly.
stood for national dishonor In the eyes
of other nations who by legislation and
the creating of proper courts had
spared their flags the disgrace that de.
scended upon the United States ban
ner
When he was at the head of the Phil
ippine government In Manila Mr. Taft
by his proximity to China soon appre-
ciated the seriousness OF the condi.
tons there and foresaw the loss of
standing In the eyes of the Chinese to
which we were lndlfferently exposing
ourselves by our failure to keep In
check American criminals. He brought
the matter to the attention of the state
department and Joined with Secretary
Root, Representative Edwin DENLY of
Michigan. a son of the former United
States minister to China; Charles Den
by. another son, who Is now consul
general at Shanghai; Senator Spooner
and some others In an endeay or to rem
edy conditions. He exerted his inf1u-
ence to obtain the passage by congress
Of a bill creating the United States
court for China. Lebbeus Redmond
Wiley of Missouri. who had been Mr..
Tafts attorney general In the Philip
pines. was named as judge.
Mr.. Taft from the first took a deep
personal interest In the work of Judge
Wiley ard his court In a way he
supervised Its work and was frequent
ly appealed to by Judge Wiley for ad-
vice as to procedure and other details.
| The lack of adequate laws hampered
Judge Wiley. but by proceeding in &c
cordance with the common law he
| quickly made the court effective. With.
In a few months after the court was
organized Shanghai and other cities in
China where conditions were such as
to require 1t were thoroughly and dras.
tically cleaned up. Shyster American
lawyers were dlsbarred, so that the
gamblers, dlsreputable women and 9th
er offenders against the law were de-
prived of legal support. The reputable
American lawyers In good standing
aided Judge Wiley. Heavy fines and
terms OF Imprisonment exercised de-
terrent effect upon the lawbreakers
many of whom summary fed from
China before the court could bring
them to account for their misdeeds.
When Mr.. Taft was In Shanghai
last fall he was heartily thanked and
congratulated by the law abiding
Americans there for the part he had
taken in removing the stigma from
the American flag and restoring the
good fame of the national name In the
orient. In his speech before the Amer
lean association in China he paid
high tribute to Judge Whitley. saying
In part:
"Our government was fortunate in the
selection as the first judge of the court
of gentleman who had Ind four
years experience In the orient as at
torney general of the Philippines and
who went to Shanghai with an init
mate knowledge of the method Of unit
ing In one administration the prinri
pies Of the common law OF the United
States with the traditions and condi
tons Of a foreign country His policy
in raising high the standard Of admis
sion to the bar and in promoting III"
vigorous prosecution Of American vio-
lators of law, which eliminated from
that community many undesirable
characters who had brought disgrace
upon the name of Americans In the
cities Of China, cannot bnt commend
itself to any one interested In the good
name of the United States among the
Chinese people and with our brethren
Of other countries who live In China
Free trade England Is alarmed again
at the physical deterioration OF her
submerged classes" In this land OF
protection the rule of social progress
Il that OF emergence and physical.
mental and moral development.
Public ownership Of the railroads
would add $1,000. OOO, 900 to the public
debt. but William Jennings Bryan
doesn't worry about a little thing like