The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-05-05

journals to make unjust charges
against men in public life
At one point in his address the pres
ident referred to the insurgents us
though they made up a separate politi-
cal party, classifying the people of the
United States, according to their politi-
cal beliefs, as Democrats and Repub-
licans and insurgents"
IAN 1 am appealing for is justice ami
a square DEAL" said the president, mot
especially for myself, for indeed 1 am
in a position where 1 carr get along
better than some of the rest without it.
but am speaking for justice in dealing
with all classes.
THE constitution of the United
States,'' said the president. "was made
by the people of the United States and
we have popular and a representative
government, but the people who framed
the constitution realized that in order
to secure the best government they
must impose limitations upon them
selves, so that the result of the views
of the majority should be embodied i'll
law and in national policies through
certain instrumentalities that would
impose distractions to sudden emo
tional movements of the people that
were not taken with the elaboration
necessary to secure wisdom, and that
ought to be delayed and held up until
they could pass under the observation
not only of Philip drunk, but of Philip
sober.
And so it was that in the division of
power they created a legislative branch.
an executive branch, and a judicial
branch and in that constitution they
gave to the supreme court, and the
subordinate tribunals to be established
by congress, certain powers which, in
terpreted by Marshall and those who
followed him. make that court unique
in the tribunals of the world. That
court was constituted to preserve the
rights of the people and the rights If
the individuals against the people
themselves, whenever in the heat Of
emotion or temporary alteration they
enacted measures that deprived the
individual of his just rights under the
constitution. Hence it is that to me, a
lawyer, the supreme court of the
United States is the most sacred thing
that we have in this government and
that the appointment of men to that
bench is the highest and most sacred
function that the executive has to per-
form.
Now, do not like to be invidious in
my remarks or to quote what may have
been misQuotation, but 1 did hear or
see a criticism of one appointment on
the ground, as I understand it, that the
appointment was not an implacable foe
of the wealth and corporations. I think
perhaps that criticism has been misun-
derStood. and that the utterer of it did
thus stated it seems to have.
II believe that all, Democrats and
Republicans and insurgents. who are
patriotic citizens-and we all are that
are In favor of having upon that
bench men who are foes of nothing
but what is wrong and are in favor OF
equal justice to every one, whether that
be an organization of men doing bust
ness under the law and using the in
strumentality of a corporation to pro-
or he ind VII of ~
be the hum blest citizen struggling with
his hand to earn a livelihood for his
family.
Il do not mean to say that men by
their habits of life may not acquire
bent or a prejudice in one direction or
another. and that it isn't wise to select
to the highest tribunal men who have
not such a bent and who have not in
their makeup the danger OF prejudice
to one interest or against another. But
1 do mean to say that there is in the
Public journals and in what 1 may call
the cant of the demagogues, a DISPOSE
ton to charge that kind of a bent i'll
favor of corporate wealth and corporate
greed and corporate monopoly when
there is no justice for the charge at all.
This assumption o. peculiar honesty
manifested by class declaration and the
stirring up of class spirit is something
that ought to be deprecated in our re-
public OF else it will lead to great dan
ger.
I'VE ought to take up the discussion
Of public questions and discuss their
effect with judicial calmness and not
have our minds diverted by charges of
prejudice and corrupt motives-I say
charges utterly. unsupported by evil
dcnce or calm consideration.
The president as the guest of the
Traffic club of st. Louis referred i'll
a general way to the railroad legisla-
ton pending at Washington but said
he was not sufficiently informed of the
situation to discuss it in detail.
THE problem, gentlemen, of fixing
railroad rates. said Mr. Taft, lis a
most difficult one, and the man who
says he knows how to do it, is the
only one in the community who thinks
SO. There is now pending at Wash
ington an interstate commerce bill.
can not comment on it because of con-
ditions which 1 do not know. But 1
do know that as the bill was present
ed to congress it was drawn with the
idea of conforming to the promises of
the Republican platform and bringing
the RAILROAD more under the control of
the interstate commerce commission on
the one hand, and to give the rail-
roads i little more freedom OF action
under the supervision of the Interstate
commerce commission on the other