The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-03-06

his power to the professional politician.
we have in the national government re-
tanned the short ballot system in its
simplicity and elect only our president
and congressman. We have great prob
lens before US, but they are the sub
stantiye problems of applying the ma
tional power to the welfare OF our
varied people and to the regulation or
our newly-developed giant industries
The problem of reforming the political
structure of the government, of OBJ
tanning more adequate machinery for
registering the peoples will, which is
SO pressing in our states and in our
cities, is much less important in the
domain of the federal government. It
therefore only confuses and distracts
to drag into a national campaign the
prejudices and Shibboleths which have
arisen in the contests of the different
states. Mr.. Tafts administration must
be judged by the attitude with which
he has approached and the success that
he has attained in dealing with these
national problems, and not according
to the views which any of US hold upon
these local questions of state ma
chinery.
The Judicial Recall
Among the remedies which have been
thus discussed in our different states is
the recall. The only application of this
remedy to the national government
which has been proposed, has been TO
apply it to the federal judiciary. AS to
this only wish to say that I am thor
oughly in accord with the position
taken by Mr.. Taft. I am wholly op-
posed to the proposition to recall the
federal judge. The federal judiciary
has been the choicest flower of our en-
tire judicial system. Mr.. Bryce, in his
american Commonwealth has said.
There is no part of the American
system which reflects more credit on its
authors or has worked better in prac-
tice''
Tt is true that the American judge,
IN his right to pass upon constitutional
questions, yields tremendous po-
litiea1 power, and it is true that that
power has been sometimes abused. 1t
is true that the judge, like other pub
lie officers, is, in broad sense, the
servant of the people, and that in ex-
crossing this political power his course
must be ultimately determined by the
matured and deliberate conclusions of
the people in framing the fundamental
law of the land. But there are better
ways of accomplishing this necessary
result of bringing the Judge into ae-
cord with the enlightened conscience
of the people as expressed in its con-
stitution than by dragging him down
into the welter of politics. Our ex-
perience has abundantly shown that,
under the influence of honest, keen
and unsparing criticism of his deci-
sions-criticism such as Mr.. Lincoln
rendered to the bred Scott decision
and such as Mr.. Roosevelt has render
ed to some of the reactionary decisions
OF our own times-this result can
eventually be accomplished. I ven
ture to say that there is no court and
no body of men so intelligently alive
to the needs of human welfare under
our constantly changing national con-
dft1ons as the Justices who sit today
upon our great federal supreme oour9. |
The careful and conscientious meth |
DDS which are employed in their selec- |
ton by the presidents who choose |
hnT he %N11
minded criticism of their decisions on |
the great constitutional questions of |
the day, may be safely trusted to main
tain this attitude in the future.
at the same time to protect their dig
nifty and independence in deciding
upon questions of individual rights.
Four years ago, in his speech of accept
anee of the nomination for president Mr.
Taft outlined the relation which he deem
ed his administration should sustain to
that of his predecessor His position was
was taken with thorough approval and |
deliberate endorsement of Mr. Roosevelt.
In that speech Mr.. Taft said:
I'VE should be blind to the ordinary
working of human nature if we did not
recognize that the moral standards set
by President Roosevelt will not continue
and a desire for financial power may
tempt, unless the requisite machinery is
introduced into the law which shall, in
its practical operation, maintain these
standards and secure the country against |
a departure from them
1.-THE chief function of the next admin
1stratton, in my judgment, is distinct
from and a progressive development of
that which has been performed by Presi-
dent Roosevelt. The chief function of the
next administration is to complete and
perfect the machinery by which these
standards may be maintained, by which
the 1awbreakers may be promptly re-
strained and punished but which shall
operate with sufficient accuracy and dis
patch to interfere with legitimate busi-
ness little possible"
To this work Mr.. Taft has devoted him.
self. He thus deliberately renowned
more striking methods of reform and set
himself to the undramatic and incon-
all thought of mans own aggrandize-
ment, He has repeatedly, for example,
urged upon congress to PLACE upon the
presidential offices-a measure which
would at one blow strike out most of the
political power of the president.
The results of this deliberate self-ab- !
negation are shown in the great Ieg1sIa- !
tive and constructive accomplishments of
his term Is it fair now to critieise him ,
because, in faithfully carrying out this
pledge of four years ago-in performing
this vitality useful though inconspicuous J
work-he has not dominated the public {
with dramatic display?
Furthermore, in the interest excited by
new proposals of reform we must never !
forget that 1t is even more important to :
preserve the great body of our laws and '
which have grown up under
and which embody the conclusions of the
wisest and the purest and the best men {
for the preservation of liberty and order t
and justice. 1t is no slight thing to con- T
tinue that greatest line of progress which I
consists in the continued elevation of the :
standards and the morals of the public !
service No change in the methods or
machinery of government, no enactment z
Or reform legislation, is of equal conse-
quence in comparison with having the
Ideals of the whole people continue to Z