The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1908-07-31
A CLEAR CASE OF SOFT HITTING.


President Roosevelt in his speech the naval Chiefs
said:
''The one unforgvable offense in any man is to hit
soft
Instead of qualifying this sentiment the president am
plfled and emphasized it when he added:
"Don't hit at all if it possibly be avoided but if
do hit hit as hard as you know how"
And his last word of presidential advice on the ethics
OF muscular morality was:
Hammer opponent until that opponent quits
fighting"
Pretty redblooded doctrine that But true and good
Donf strike until blow is the last resort; then hit
straight and hard None can complain of this creed It
is as old the deeds Of Gods fighting captains Samson
SAUL Joshua and Joab Even the gentle David put into
his sling the hardest rocks he could fnd and he threw
them ''as hard he knew how" And later, on direct
command from Above, David smoe the Philstines from
Geba until thou come to Gazer.''
Rightly or wrongly President Roosevelt decided that
certain undesirable citizens and he HIT he
hit as hard as he knew how.
With part Of the record of Judge Peter S. Grosscup be-
fore him. the president decided that there was an un
desirable judge and he ht he hit soft president
OF the United States could
Grosscup had stood mendcant, to the railroads whose
passes he asked and accepted and whose lawsuits he
tried He was the central figure in the unholy Chicago
traction scandal He showed not inclination retire from
the bench nor to revise his code of judicial ethics He not
only saw no harm in asking railroads for passes for him
departments of the railroads instead of the de-
partments thus not only accepting vos but seeking OBJ
legation to the men who appeared counsel in this
as well as to their clients.
The traction receiverships through Grosscups court
are chapter all by themselves in American history.
So the time had come to chit" It could no longer
possibly be avoided and the gospel of the president
led for HIM to hammer until the opponent quits
The subsequent and consequent 'hitting reminds one
OF bnd-man sbuff fiddle dewinks.
The attack gentle, persuasive coaxing-a very
molly coddle assault
Rumors OF resignation put afoat from Washing
ton through friendly correspondents stories of the great
ices to be gained in private practice seeped OUT many
and devious ways Grosscup given to understand that
ii he would consent to resign from the bench it would be
done quietly (softy) and in way to impair the dig
nifty of the Judge the tabled sancty of the court
Once the threadbare effort was made to prove to
the people that their courts all right by DENYING
error in their judges And that is the thing more than
any other that has spawned the popular disrust of
and OF the brand of justice dispensed therein.
Can the custer of an undesirable judge undermine
courts sanctityg Certainly no than the retire
men OF an obsolete batteshp in favor of Dreadnaught
can breed distrust of navy.
But the soft hitting did not "force the opponent to
quit" 1t permitted him to rere" and he will take his
time about it. And to chit little himself mean
time.
Verify the president has further reason than ever be-
fore to believe his ringing, militant doctrine:
''The unforgivable offense in any man is to hit
SOFT
He himself has proved it.