The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-05-14
Taft Comes Out Pub
licly and in Very Pro
nounced Fashion.
POWER OF JUDGE
TOO SMALL NOW
DEGREES System Which Would
Put Courts at Mercy Of Small
Percentage Of Electors Whom
Their Conduct and Rulings
Do Not Happen to
Please.

New York. May 13.-Presidcnt TAFT
came out publicly tonight In most
pronounced fashion against the recall
OF the judiciary. In his speech At the
Hotel Astor before the Conference on
Reform of the Criminal Law and Pro-
cedurc. the President made his attitude
plain.
Most of his speech had been devoted
TO a comparison. highly unfavorable
TO this country. OF the judicial sys-
tern of Great Britain and the United
states lie lamented the tendency
manifested even in England but more
particularly in this country. 10 put
Limitations on the power of the Judge.
And now he said. mot content
with reducing the position OF the Judge
to one some thing like that of the mod :
orator in Il religious assembly. or the
presiding officer of a political con-
vcntion. the judge ia to be made stu
less important. and to be put stu
more on trial and to assume still more
the character of defendant by pro-
vision of law. under which. II his rul-
ings and conduct in court do not suit
small percentage of the electors OF
his district he may be compelled to
submit the question of his continuance
on the bench during the term for
which he wac elected. to an election
for recall, I'm which the reason for his
recall Is 10 lie included in 200 words
and his defense thereto to &c equally
brief
';Ihe statistics show the crimes thnt
go unpublished IN this country as COM
pared with those in England" said Mr..
Taft. "arc startling and humiliatinE to
any son OF America who has pride In
his fellow countrymen as iaw-abid-
ing and law enforcing people. H
wherein IS the great difference then
between the effectiveness of the two
systems? believe 1t to exist in the
character, experience and learning. Of
the judiciary, in the power which they
MAINTAIN and exercise in the course OF
the trials for the saving of time and
the sinDiification of the Issues"
Too Much RESTRICTION.
! I'm many States judges are not per-
United TO comment upon the facts at
charge the jury after the arguments
of counsel. but they are REQUIRED to
submit written charges to the jury
no opportunity TO apply the principles
concretely 10 the facts OF the case.
THE restraint that judge In the
course Of a trial imposes upon tho
En- Elish court Is thus wholly wanting
with the result that there seems 10
have been Il substantial change In the
code Of professional ethics governing
counsel and in the extremes to which
counsel in The defense of their clients
seem 10 think II Is entirely proper for
them to 70. Their conduct makes
neither for thc dignity OF the court.
for tn. elnviticn of the ethics OF the
bar for the expediting OF criminal
procedure. nor for the reasonable pun
ishment of crime"
attorney General Witkersham was
10 have made an address. but was un-
able TO attend. Francis J. Heney. OF
San Francisco. was one OF the speak
ers
tive William j. Burns, who arrested
the Mcnamara brothers and McMani-
gal for alleged dynamlting. and SAM
uel Gompers. president OF the Ameri-
can Federation OF Labor who ha 8 de-
nounced Burns rs having trumped up
Il case against labor.
The President spent the night at the
home of his brother. Henry w. TAFT.
To- morrow he goes to Harrisburg, Pa.
to address the tenth biennial conven:
ton of the Brotherhood or Railroad
Trainmen.