Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-04-29
Strengthening the Laws Arm
Taft's Policy.
How TO Make II Formidable TO AgGre-
cations of wealth that work Evil .
Daily Subject Of study between
Him and Lawyers Of Cabinet.

weekly meetings OF the TAFT cabinet. |
The assertion seems to Size ample as
surance that II Is tho intention Of the |
administration t. carry out. as quickly
rs IL consistent with certainty Of results, |
tho pledge made in the inaugural al
Dress and II means, beyond question. |
that MI. Taft intends to make legally
sound the basis for prosecution 81 those
corporations which have shewn little re-
gard for the law. and which. for i'm
nunity, have depended. with consider
able success upon the weakness Of the
p"essnt statutes
The first Tat policy leaving the tariff
out Of consideration, Is one directed to
the strengthening Of the arm Of tho lew
in an attempt 70 resist the sncreaeh-
rients on the rights Of the public by the
Ereat combinations. protected as they
are by powerful organization ana tho
possession Of great wealth. The rres!-
dent knows that some Of the cornbina-
tons Of capital have been careless Of
the law. He intends to see to 1t that the
law is made formidable, and TO this end
his best legal thought and that Of the
several lawyers In his cabinet IL to-day
being directed.
The Sherman antitrust law il the daily
subject OF study BY the lawyers Of the
cabinet. Mr.. Taft himself leading in the
lessons. The President is convinced that,
With the AID chiefly ef Mr. Wiekersham
and Mr.. Knox. ana With the ADDED assist
ance of Mr. Dickinson. Mr.. NaGel. and
Mr. Baliinger. by the time he IL ready
to speak TO the people at the various
public appearances he has scheduled, he
Will have the basis for a new antitrust
enactment to be submitted TO Congress
early In December. This prospective law
Nj Taft believes will Withstand every
attack on its constituttonality. and will
be so knitted in all its parts that no
technical loop-hole Of escape can be
found in II. He rests his opinion on his
personal conviction that he has in his
cabinet the men most competent to
frame a statute that will stand the test
OF every trial
PRESIDENT TAKING HIS own WAY.
Stories recently have been spread
broadcast to the effect that the President
die not intend to press to conclusion
many progressive policies and meas
ures to which the people had given I'M
qualified approval. The efforts that Mr.
Taft has made to secure harmony Of &C.
ton between the legislative and the
executive branches Of government have
been construed by many-p persons to mean
that he has changed his attitude with re-
spect TO the so-cailed Roosevelt poll
cies." Tho President Is taking his own
way OF doing things. II he can secure
results harmoniously he takes the per-
fectly proper view that the peace course
Is the best. II efforts to secure perfect
concord Of action fail. there are other
methods which can be used. and the
President will not hesitate to use them
His own force Is great and additional
strength doubtless will come from the
support Of the masses OF the people up
on whom the President hopes and be-
lieves that. like his predecessor In once,
he can depend.
The country has looked for years upon
the attempts to check the wronEdeing
Of the powerful combinations as a SUI
premely important administration duty.
The prosecution Of lawless corporations
| was the focal point Of the Roosevelt en-
ceavor. The pesyle always have shown
that they would regard successful prsse-
| cution Of intrenched criminals a. the
greatest and NEST salutary achievement
Of government. Time and again the at
| torney-general and the sther law ofhcers
Of the last administration pointed out
the weaknesses Of the existing law. and
| time and again court decisions have
shown that their Judgment OF the weak
points In the statutes was sound. Mr..
Taft and his legal advisers members OF
his oflcial family. are to-day bending all
their efforts to frame law so I'm
nervous to attack that the present ad-
| Irinistration can give to the country
that which the last administration tried
| to give and could not.
There are three Big bookcases in Pres
ident Taft's private once. They were
not there in Mr. Roosevelt's time. The
shelves are Allied with volumes and
every volume has to DO with the law.
Mr.. Taft realizes fully, as hs has said
In effect publicly on several occasions,
that II laws are to b enforced they must
be 80 drawn that the strength 81 enforce
rent 10 written into them. He fssis that
II is far better 10 recommend enc law
that will stand every test, ana to Sc
cure q place fer II IN legislative enact
ment. than II II to recommend AID ia
have passed . dessn laws that will end
only In failure whom submitted to the
trial OF tho courts. =
| PEOPLES DEMAND WILL BE
YFEEpED.
The President and all his cabinet
members know that the people are de.
rnandins legislation upon many subjects
Every attention Is being given to the
countrys demand. One thing will be
taken up at a time. and there will be M
hurry ana no noise. The PresidNnt has
taken as his frst case that Of the peo
ple against the corrupt Communication o.
capital He Will prepare his case with
all thorouGhness, and To the work vii
re given. not only his own legal ability
and insight, but the best Of both In thu
keeping AZ the msmbers Of his cabinet
lie feels that, II the antitrust laws car
De made imDresnable. he will have per
formed the frst and perhkps the chic
cf his duties TO the people and that HI
will have shewn At the outset that hi
pledge Of a continuance OF progressive
policies has been kept in spirit and II
letter.
These who have talked with Mr.. Tar
on the matter Of the strengthening o
the laws Intended to stand as . bulwsrl
Cor successful prosecution. say that HI
Is confident that the end sought can b
reached. Mr.. TAFT Ia given to alrss
| daily praise Of the legal ability of thu
members Of his cabinet. He believes
that In his ofIicial advisers he has thu
strongest men that it was possible Il
obtain for the work that he has In view
The other day. In speaking of tho char
rcter OF the officials which the admins
tation had gathered to itself. he wen
l all