Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-18

content to take that decision it stands
delivered by the highest judicial tribunal
on earth. a tribunal established by tue
Constitution of the Emitted States for
that purpose. and hence that decision
becomes the law of the land, binding on
YOU, on me and on every other goou
citizen. whether we like it or not. Hence
l do not choose to go into an argument
TO prove, before this audience, whether
or not he tthe Chief Justice) understood
the law better than theodore Roosevelt.
Substitutes Two Words.
Now, gentlemen. I have made one
change in the above quotation The last
words were not Theodore Roosevelt the
last words were Abraham Lincoln ana
this attack made nearly fifty-three years
ago upon Abraham Lincoln is precisely
and exactly the kind of attack made
upon me at the moment. Abraham Lin
coin felt and protested throughout his
life the same profound respect for the
Supreme Court that, OF course. I feel
and that l have. again and again, IN
public speech and messages, as Presl-
dent. Of the United States, expressed.
An upright judge is a higher and better
public servant than any other man can
possibly be, and it is cause of pride
to every American citizen that our SUI
preme Court is the most influential ju-
dicial tribunal in the entire world. j
have quoted Abraham Lincoln: let me
quote him again: We believe in obedience
TO and respect to the judicial depart
ment OF the government. We think ITS
decisions. on constitutional questions
when fully settled should control. L
agree absolutely with this sentence of
Abraham Lincoln, not the less because L
also believe in what Lincoln said imme-
diateiy afterward, but we think this de-
cisiOn erroneous, and we shall DO what
we can to have ii OVerruled.
Quotes Taft as Judge.
Nor do l have to refer to any state
ment of the past for presidents. The
President of the United States, Mr.. Taft,
has served his country honorably and up
rightly in many positions-as Judge, as
Governor of the Philippines. as Secretary
Of War and now President-for to him
and the Congress acting with him we
owe the creation Of a tariff commission
the adoption of maximum and minimum
tariff law treaties with foreign powers
the proper treatment Of the Philippines
under the tariff the increase in the eff
ficiency of the interstate commerce law.
the beginning of national legislative
program providing for the exercise of
the taxing power in connection with cor
porations doing an interstate business.
postal savings bank bill. the constitution
OF a commission to report a remedy for
overcapttalizatiOn in connection with the
issue OF stocks and bonds: but few of his
services are more deserving of record
than what he said in this very matter
OF criticism of the judiciary. Speaking
as a United States circuit judge fifteen
years ago. he said:
The opportunity freely and publicly
TO -criticise judicial action is of vastly
more Importance to the body polite than
the immunity of courts and judges from
unjust aspersions and attack. Nothing
tends more to render judges careful in
their decisions and anxiOus1y solicitous
TO do exact justice than the conscious
ness that every act of theirs is to be
submitted TO intelligent scrutiny and
candid criticism of their fellow-men.
In the case of judges. however. a life
tenure, indeed. their very independence
makes the right freely to comment on
their decisions of greater Importance be-
cause 1t Is the only practicable and avail
able instrument In the hands of a free
people to keep such judges alive to the
reasonable demands of those they serve. ="
Dropping the personal pronoun, the
colonel took up an exposition of what l
we who work for the new nationalsm'
believe. He reiterated his belief in gov
eminent by party. his recognition of the
necessity of corporations in business. ac-
companied by the elevation of the work
ingman by unions; but all these agencies,
he was convinced, must be under control
of the whole people. The one vital and
essential matter in public life was hon
esty. All good citizens must join in war
ring on the crook, whether giver or taker
of brides, as traitor to democracy.
Leaders, Yes; Bosses, No.
The address closed with the only words
that could be construed as having any
bearing on the immediate political situa-
ton within the republican party in this
state-a dissertation on popular self-eor-
troll and party leadership. distinction
between the boss and the leader.
1T is necessary and desirable said
the colonel. that there should be lead
ers. but 1t is unnecessary and undesirable
that there should be bosses. The leader
leads the people. the boss drives the peo-
pie. The leader gets his hold by open ap-
real to the reason and conscience of his
followers; the boss Keeps his hold by
manipulation, intrigue, by secret q fur
tive appeals to many forms of sei--inter-
est, and sometimes to very base forms.
Progress there must be- but it must be
wise. sober and moderate II it is to be
permanent. Prosperity must be pre-
served, for material wel-being was a
great good. but it was only a foundation
for lofty national life. raised in ac-
cordance with the doctrine that right
eousness exalteth a nation