Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-08-07
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THE LAWS DELAY.
Continued from Page One.)


to that office, but because 1 was sum-
moned to the White House when the
invitation was extended and directed
(Laughter) to come here and do what
/ could, if need be use the big stick to
uphold the administration" daughter0
Joking aside MIR. Taft called attention
to the difficulty of discussing even the
office of the President without tres
passing on some issue in the political
campaign. Mr.. Taft explained the ne
cessity for an increased exercise of
power in the Philippines, Porto Rico
and the canal zone as well as in other
properties All these things, he said,
We're under the control of Congress,
but Congress had not acted as prompt
ly as it might.
The danger that was usurpation of
power by the Executive is less than
the danger Of the usurpation by pow
err by the legislature. Congress can
bring the Executive up standing. But
there is no such check on the Legisla-
ture.
He said that apart from the office
and come to the person of the Pres-
dent ne called it his'greatest good for
tune to be in his council
Hot Springs, Va. Aug. Civilian
II. Taft Thursday addressed the Viz
ginia Bar Association, giving in detail
his views on the delay in the adminis-
tration of the law and suggestions for
reforms. Mr.. Taft's address concluded
the speech making program of the an
nual meeting of the association. Wynd-
h., I
Taft, said:
"Of the speaker whose presence
makes this meeting of our association
national occasion, in all the numerous
duties which he had to perform, wheth-
er as a law officer or as the occupant
of the bench, state or federal, whether
performing the arduous duties of sec
rotary of war, as governor of the
Philippines or as administrator OF
Cuba l can say that he has touched
nothing which he has not strengthened
and performed. l voice the sentiment
of each member of this association and
perhaps of the man himself when J
say that he is one who to party gave
up what was meant for the BENCH
Judge Taft presented his subject by
stating that the end sought in the ad-
mlnlStration of justice was to pro-
mote tranquility and cont.ntmcnt
among the people 1t had, he said long
been established that the supreme
court of the United States was the I'LL
innate arbitrator of the great political
and legal issues, deciding upon the
limitations of both the legislative and
executive branches of government
which had carried the usefulness OF
the courts beyond anything attempted
in other countries. Notwithstanding
this desirable situation, Mr.. Taft ex-
pressed "a doubt that our present ad-
ministration of justice insured general
popular satisfaction with it's results.
There are" he said, abundant evil
dences that the prosecution of Grim
mails has not been certain and
thorough to the point of preventing
popular protest. The existence Of lynch
ing in all parts of the country is di-
rectly traceable to this lack of uni
formity and thoroughness in the en-
forCement of our criminal laws
The present is a time when all our
institutions are being subjected to
close scrutiny, with view to the de-
termination whether we have not now
tried the institutions upon which mod
ern society rests to the point of prov
ing that some of them should be rad
ically changed. The chief attack is on
the institution of private property and
is based on the inequalities in the dis
tribution of wealth and human happf-
ness that are apparent in our present
system l believe that the institution
OF private property next to thar of per
sonal liberty has most to do with the
uplifting and physical and moral i'm
provement of the whole human race.
but that it it not Inconsistent with the
rights OF private property to impose
limitations upon issues for unlawful
purposes and that this is the remedy
for the reform rather than the aboli-
ton of the institution itself. But this
scrutiny of our institutions, this In
creaSlng disposition to try experiments
to see whether there is not some meth
od by which human happiness may be
more equally distributed than it is or
brought to make those of us who really
believe in our institutions as essential
to further progress, anxious to remove
real and Just grounds for criticism in
our present system. | venture to say
that one evil which has not attracted
the attention of the community at
large, but which is likely to grow in
Importance as the inequality between
the poor and the rich in our civilization
is studied is the delays in the admin
istr1tion between Individuals AS be-
tween two wealthy corporations or two
wealthy individual litigan;,s, and
where the subject matter of the liti-
cation reaches to tons and hundreds
OF thousands of dollars, our present
system, while not perfect. is not so far
from producing results as to call for
anxiety. The judges of the country.
both state and national, are average
good men. Nenality in our judges fs
very rare
The inequality that exists in our
present administration of justice and
that sooner or later is likely to arise and
trouble us and call for popular con
demnation and reform is in the UNEQUAL
burden which the expense of litigation
under our system imposes on the poor
litigant'
One remedy, Mr.. Taft said. must be
reform in our judicial procedure, which
| is now too cumbersome. Another would
tIl,