New-York tribune., 1912-08-30
WOMAN HAD KNIVES
TO PUNISH TAFT
Arrested Just as President
Reached Hotel in Columbus,
Where She Awaited Him.
MODERATE REFORMS URGED
Speech at Bar Dinner Outlines
Presidents Ideas of Present
Day Needs and Methods
to Change Them.

Columbus. Ohio. aug. 29.-President
Taft reached this city at 1870 o'clock th's
morning TO take part in the celebration
Of the centenary of its birth as the capi-
tai Of Ohio
Just as the President and his party
reached the SoutherE Hote!, MIS- caroline
Beers, who said she was from Grcenville'
Ohio, was arrested by Pittsburgh detec-
tives in the hotel. where she was waiting
Tor Mr.. Taft. Two knives were found
concealed in her clothing.
The woman said she was the wife OF
the President and was going 10 punish
him. She had been noticed yesterday
afternoon around the hotel and had told
employees she was waiting for the Presl-
dent.
81 have the sacred knife for President
Taft, 4" she told a detective when arrested.
The woman did not set near the Presi-
dent She was found on one Of the upper
floors. near the elevator on which II was
expected Mr.. Taft woud so To his apart
ments.
One of the knives she carried was a
/ long, keen -bladed affair, on The handle
OF which a picture Of President Tart had
been photographed. Mrs. Beers was well
dressed. and 5000 was found in her cloth
mg.
Nineteen Busy Hours.
For nineteen hours President TAFT was
the busy, central figure of all the cere-
monies his friends and the celebration
committee could devise. He breakfasted
with Governor, a Mayor and Repre-
sentative; took luncheon with q commits
sion and dined with a har association.
He made speeches to the farmers Of his
home state from q stand at the state fair
and TO the lawyers at a $40 a plate ban
quet tonight
At the bar dinner the President was in
troduced by Governor Harmon. The
President said, in part:
We are in a transition period, ! hope:
transition from something that Is Gooo
TO something that Is better, and We are
going into the valley of fear ana hu-
initiation for our institutions. brought
about 10y denunciatiOn that Is unjust, uut
thai seems AT times 10 claim the sup
I~rt OF many OF the y oplc.
The bench and the lar are on lildI 'h
this country. The reasons given 90 not
CONNER nd themselves to me. don't De
/ think YOU ana ] could point out some
defects that have not yet been made the
basis for attack upon them which would
I've much more just than the chatScs tnat
ar now mdue.
II is said that we do not keep abreast
OF the times. that We are not progressive
enough, that We don't move toward So
tial Justice. and that we are constantly
introducing limitations from the lesisid-
tiOn that prcFeIh progress in the, de.
vclopment Of humanltY-that we are ola
togy Well, | don't think that charge
is just 1t IS not true tnat courts, as
general rule, have set their races AGAINST
progress of the kind that is now being
mace und a tendency 10 pdternallSm
that we are welcoming to-day. II the
charge ha, been made that there was
tCo much delay i'm the rendition OF lus-
ticc, and too much expense involved IN
that delay, l cannot say but that there
would be considerable justice in that re-
gard.
Not Useful in Politics.
But the trouble about such a defect
and the remedy Of such a defect, is
that il does not strike the imagination
of people, il is not useful for political
purposes; therefore we don't hear much
about il, because it takes hard work
and application to details to work out
a remedy, and il takes time to do it,,
and il does not suit political platforms
and political oratory as a means OF
fosting themselves into office.
One of the troubles about our profession
under the present move toward the re-
form of everything by changing every
thing is that we are trained, when man
says he is going TO do something and
going 10 accomplish some reform, social,
political or otherwise, to ask the ques-
tor, "HOw are you going to do it, and
then 20 query what kind Of statute you
are going to draw, OF what kind Of
amendment 10 the constitution you are
going 10 introduce in order TO effect this
purpose, and those questions are imperti-
nent. very impudent. They intimate a
skepticism as TO whether what is pro-
l..