The Topeka state journal., 1911-09-25
SUBSTITUTE FOR THE RECALL.
President Taft Suggests a Wider Power
of Impeachment.

st. Louis, Mo. Sept. 25.-On
the eve of entering reputed hos
tile territory, President Taft put for
ward the suggestion of a wider power
OF impeachment u substitute for the
mora radical proposal of a judiciary
recall The president declared that the
law delay unquestionably was one of
the great causes of unT est in this coun-
try and said that undoubtedly the re-
call idea had grown out of the fact
that the courts in many instances are
not performing the functions that they
should
Judges should be made more re-
sponsible, the president declared, and
the means of impeachment made more
simple. There should be judicial pro-
cedure, at a proper hearing, rather
than public clamor. Mr.. Taft declared
that the delay in administering justice
in this country should bring the blush
of shame to all good Americans and
that the courts of this country made a
very poor showing in comparison with
those of England, where the judges
keep up with their dockets and where
criminals find swift punishment await
ing them.
The president spoke with a great
deal of earnestness on the subject Of
reform in judicial procedure. He said
1t was some ething with which he was
most familiar and both as q lawyer
and judge he felt free to discuss the
standpoint. The speech on this sub
Ject was entirely impromptu and fol-
lowed the conclusion of a luncheon at
the City club.
In his speech on the need of judi
cial reform. the president said:
One of the real reasons for discon-
tent is the character of the procedure
and the administration of Justice in
cur courts.
Il believe that the states of this
4 fcx r.f+ Sc
country should devote their attention
to a constant discussion and pressure
upon the legislatures for cutting short
judicial prc ccedure and expeditirg 1us-
tice- It is the ore thing in my judg
ment that is more easily reached and
more needed under our government
than any ether.
''I wonder whether you have thought
of the tendency that we have had in
that kind CT legislation from the time
tho constitution was adopted in this
country and our courts we're organic
ed until now and especially in the west
and as you go west. Trial by jury is
a good thing. 1t brings into the ad-
IninistratiOn Of justice the people and
in a popular government the people
feel safer n that they are called in to
determine issues of important facts;
but by jury, my friends, as stated in
the constitution, was a trial by jury
of the fact, under the inspiration of a
judge that had the power to tell the
jury What the law was ana nad the
power to hold the court room under his
control and not let it be taken away
by the counsel for the prosecution or
the counsel for the defense. And yet
the suspicion of the people of the
judges has been such, the movement
of all legislation from the Atlantic
westward has been to take away from
the judges the power they had under
the English system that we have copied
and the system that we put into our
constitution.
IF judge is not frightened by any
body and will carry on a court as his
court, then you viii have your admin
istration of justice as it Is in Eng
land.
IF you examine the statistics you
Will blush as Americans that we have
rot shown ourselves more adaptable
to the issue which has arisen here with
respect TO whether crime shall be pun
ished, and have not made a machine