The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-07-10
Morning Session of Conve1l-
ton Comparatively Tame
and Lasts But a
Short Time.

i \
Short Time.
ity for the bill, ana theirs also the
Responsibilities for the conditions which
led to the enactment or the law.
Hcpubllcnn Irnliurcx.
Thus, my countrymcn, in this hcview
we have the spectacle Of n President
urging. refractory Congress to pass
Ineeded reforms ard appealing In vain.
| or we have another spectacle, that or
| a President, for tho sake OF his own
popularity or for the sake of the pop
| ii!nrity of his own candidate, making
/ q political play by urging that Con-
Egress do what ilIc must have known II
| would not do Ind what we are forced
| to consider ed!d not wish done. The
! He desires that the laborIng man:
that those who would have the govern
lment effectively regulate the railroads;
4 that those who would revise and re-
duce the tariff and destroy the trusts
these should believe that Mr.. Taft
1 Is not n renctlonary. but militant re-
Former, saturated with his IDEAS and
I hat he VIII carry out my policies
Mr.. Taft VIII have to receive about
100000 ofsvotes before he can execute
lany policy. To get the votes for him
the President wishes to show what fine
pclicles his chosen one Will carry on.
lll4elecleu. ana lie can snow ~ cleapIYa
by pointing to Recommendations that
ibis party associates have ignored and
Twill ignore. II the President were sim
icere and honestly nsistent and still
wes not needed by his party, not@ith-
standing his great personal popnlari-
ty. what reason is there to suppose that
tho same party associates Will not BIO
deaf to tho same recommendations
lmade by one who Is merely the Prcsi.
dents legatee? We may inquire hero
In nra tC N
ing special privileges, predatory
(wealth--and think quote Mr. Roose-
Welt who borrowed the words from n
distinguished Democrat - hnyo all
ton. upon Mr.. Taft's nominations? The
masses and equal rights to all on the
one side or the classes fat on privilege
on the other-under which flag. Mr..
TAFT? No man can serve two mas.
| ters."
The press has told us In what seemed
to lie scmi-officinl statements from the
White House tint the President wns No
intent upon hls policies TINT II Congress
IndjOnrncd without cnncttng them Into
Inv he would cnll nm extra session.
Congress did adjourn, leaving nnpnss-
cd most NJ HIS favored measures
ind the extra session wns never called.
II the play results I'm Republican votes,
| II will hnvc accomplished Its purpose.
II the President desired to have this
legislation the Democrats were ready
TO join In ita passage. The Democratic
leader of the House, authorized by NIL
his pnrty nssocfntcs, repeatedly offer
cd the entire Democratic strength In
support OF these measures. The Re-
publicnns have less than sixty mnJort-
ty In the House. II thirty OF them had
Joined the Democrats NIL OF these meas
urcs would hive passed there and gone
to Republican SENATE. SO fnr ns the
House tx concerned less than one-scy-
cnth of the Republicans were needed to
change these recommendations Into
law. The Republican support was not
Forthcoming.
Federal Usurpntion.
President Roosevelt has constantly
lclamored for more law and has fre-
lquently disregarded laws already on
the statute books. He has sometimes
3arrogated to himself to say what laws
not. He has exercised the unauthorized
privilege OF deciding against whom the
laws should be enforced and who
should be immune from prosecution
: He insisted on the punishment of
certain railroads and of certain men
for giving and receiving rebates. and
then ordered the SdiscontInuance OF the
case against ono OF his Cabinet Off
lcers who had confessed that as an
official OF the railroad he gave re-
a stakeholder and an official. And
this man remained in the Cabinet until
| he left with the Presidents recon-
mendatIon for more LUCRATIVE posi-
ttion Indeed, By his defiance OF legal
Limitations and the safeguards OF the
Constitution he has done more to In
iculcate contempt OF law than all the
their violence in all the States. The
President Is upon an eminence. IL he
violates the law. men everywhere
know i. II he does not himself re-
spect 1t to the full extent. he robs It
OF the reverence that might be will
iingly bestowed by others. In this
same overbearing spirit he has placed
and kept in office men who were not
appointed by and with the advice and
consent OF the Senate. He has infln-
and juries in the administration OF
public justice not only by deciding
Iwho should and who should not be
prosecuted. but by making known his
tween the prosecution and the accused.
He has scolded judges for their in
Iterpretations of the law 1t was.
therefore, timely and appropriate that
the Republican party at Chicago should
have declared that It will uphold at
all times the authority and integrity of
THE courts" He has constantly cried
out for more power on the part of
the Federal government at the expense
Of the powers reserved to the States.
In his speech at Harrisburg in 0cto-
Der. 1906, he told Of easy methods for.
increasing the power OF the Federal
government The method provided In
the Constitution was too cumbersome,
Islow and uncertain for him.
Representatives institutions must be
preserved. Our Federal government OF
delegated and limited powers must be
maintained In NIL it's constitutional
viEor, ana cnch State must be preserved
with all of its reserve powers and lii
its integrity ana autonomy forever.
Therein IL the safety OF the Union ana
the Stntcs--one intlIssoluble ana the
other indcstructible.
Let us confidently hope that the time
will never be ripo for the change of
the Constitution BY Executive action
and by judicial interpretation" If
SUCH time should come, then a govern &
mont of law will perish from the earth
and a government of caprice will be
created on the ruins Of one established
by written Constitution.
Democratic Duty.
We know there iHs brighter pros-
pcct. II the love OF country ana lib-
nj fx,An. - Dr..