New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-09-24
IMPEACH JUDGES,
PRESIDENT SAYS
He Suggests That as Substitute
for Recall, Which He Strong
Iy 0en0unCeS.
URGES REFORM IN COURTS
Would Make Impeachment Pro
ceedings More Simple-Re-
plies to Attacks on
Tariff Board.

plies to Attacks on
Tariff Board.
tFrom a star Correspondent or The Tribune
ST. Louis. Sept. 23.-St. Louis greeted
President Taft to-day with an enthusi-
Asm compared with which his visit of
two years ago seems almost funereaL
From the time he entered the Union
Station at am. until he left it again at
11:3O D. m. he was attended by constant
applause and cheering. and the streets
through which he passed were lined with
enthusiastic citizens. all anxious to do
honor to the Chief Executive.
And behind the President, like a spec
ire, stood the grim figure OF Champ
Clark Speaker Of the House, whose
Presidential boomlet appears TO have re-
ceived its death blow in the defeat Of
Canadian reciprocity, for the people Of
Missouri are convinced that it was the
Speakers in considered and I'M timed re-
marks about the annexation Of Canada
which led % the rejection of the agree
ment by the Canadian electorate. Per
haps. naturally, even those who had no
love FOR reciprocity when it was alive re-
sent its untimeIy death AT the hands of
aliens and resent still more the fact
that one ON whom the high honor of
Speaker of the House had been conferred
should have permitted his Garrulousness
10 frighten timid Canadians into anction
which many construe as an afront TO
the United States
Speaker Clark did not remain behind
President Taft long He was there when
the Presidents train arrived at the sta
ton As Mr.. Taft appeared on the rear
platform Of his car and cheers broke
forth from a thousand lusty Missouri
throats the Speaker stole quietly into
the waiting room, scarcely recognized
even hy the people Of his own state,
there 10 await the departure Of his train.
some two hours later.
Late tonight the President sought his
private car 20 travel all night in order
70 be in the insurgent state Of Kansas
tomorrow
impeachment Instead Of Recall.
on the eve Of entering this territory he
put forth the suggestion of wider
power of Impeachment as a substitute
for the more radical proposal Of a judi
cisry recall He declared that the laws
delay mquesuonably was one Of the
great causes Of unrest in this country,
and said that undoubtedly the recall
idea had grown out of the fact that the
courts ln many instances are not per
forming the duties they should. Judges
should Doe held more responsible, the
President declared, and the method Of
impeachment made more simple.
The President spoke with much ear
nestness on reform in judicial procedure.
He said 10 was something with which he
was most familiar and that both as a
lawyer and a judge he felt free 70 dis
cuss 10 in the frankest possible way.
The speech on this subject was entirely
imlrgmptl. He said in part:
Trial by jury is a good thing It
brings into the administration Of justice
tAe people and iD a popular government
the ue0p.. feel safer, i'm that they are
called iu t1 determine issues of impor-
taut fact. but trial by jury my friends,
as stated Iu the Constitution, was trial
bl jury of the facts under the inspiration
of judge VINO had the power 10 tell the
jury what the law was and had tho
power tu hold tine courtroom under his
control. and not let IL bc taken away b.
the counsel for the prosecution or the
couRse for the defence.
And Ne, tine suspicion by the people
Of the judges has been such. the move
mtnt ot al legislation from the Atlantic
Westward, has been TO take away from
iHe judges the power they had under
tine English system that we have copied
eAa the system that we put into our
Constitution.
If judge is not frightened by any
tods and viii carry on a court as his
court lel you VIII have your admins
uatul ot justice as iL is in England. II
! ou examine the statistics YOU viii blush
as Americans that we have not shown
ourselves more adaptable 20 the issue
Which has arisen here with respect 10
whether crime shall be punished and
have not made "a machine that has ac-
1omp.saea The purpose.
The tendency OF legislation ought 10 be
toward giving the judges more power
and then making the judges responsible.
Ilere is no difficulty about making the
Judges responsible, either. I know il is
proposed % make a short cut and cut his
head of without any reason just be-
cause the people wish IT, under the theory
or a judicial recall. j agree that the
movement has foundation in the basis
which ] have stated. namely, that the
courts have not fulfilled the function
they ought 20 fulfil, but l do not agree
That therefore you ought % Kill the
court, and that IS what / think you are
o0ng IL you make every tenure OF ONCE
dependent on an election.
Gentlemen that won't do. Make your
Judges responsible. Impeach them. I'M
peachment Of a Judge would be a very
healthfu thing in these times. / nave
known Instances in Congress where there
was ground for impeachment that ought
20 nave been carried through. but on
inquiry 1 found that the difhcultes pc
i"een the members Of Congress ana the
!loge had been settled by compromises
uie thing had passed away.
II IS not necessary that we should have
an Impeachment by the legislature II
mat is a clumsy method, as IL is. We
.an have some other method Of invesu-
saung the qualifications Of judges and
II they don't mn the measure 10 remove
shein. Have some sort Of judicial near
cred.
Answers Tariff Boards Critics.
President Tsst made his last speech OF
ule day az the magnificent ST. Louis
Sohseum, his subject being "The Tariff
BOARD II was an informing rather