The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1912-07-20
TAFT'S RECORD
ON RECALL OF
COURT DECISIONS
Favored the Principle to OblIge
"Poison Makers"
NOTORIOUS WHISKY RULING.

Reconeiled His consciencs to the Pro.
mitigation of Presidential Order
LegaIizins Every Demand Of the
Makers Of Imitation Whisky - He
"RscaIIed" Seven Federal Court De-
eisions to Accommodate the oppo.
nsnts Of Roosevelt and Dr.. Wiley.
Now that Mr.. Taft is so violent in
his opposition to any proposal to per,
NIT the people of state to assert
their understanding of the meaning
of the constitution made by them
when that meaning has been per.
verted by judicial ruling, it is well
to examine his past record in this
particular. Recorded facts prove that
President Taft is not opposed to the
"recall of decisions of the federal
courts when the recall is made by
"a representative part Of the people,"
even though that part consists of one
of 1OO,O0O.0O0 Americans.
Here is an expose" especially in
teresting at this time. It appears in
the editorial columns Of the Philadel
phia North American:
''Long before Theodore Roosevelt
upheld the hands of Harvey Wiley
and forced the passage Of the pure
food law there had been notorious
frauds in the making, marking and
branding Of distilled liquors. But the
question seemed pretty well settled
by the upholding of the explicit pro-.
visions Of the national pure food law
in the rulings Of DR.. Wiley, sustain
ed by repeated messages Of Presi-
dent Roosevelt. opinions Of Attorney
General Bonaparte and decisions of
different federal courts.
Merely Common Sense.
"The question was simply one Of
common sense. There was to be no
prevention Of or penalty for the sale
Of any sort Of liquor. The rulings
meant only that the purchaser was
entitled to the privilege Of learning
from the label whether he was buying
what he was paying for.
"Undoctored whisky was to be label
ed whisky mixture of two real
whlskies was to be labeled blend A
mixture of a whisky with something
that is not whisky was to be labeled
compound A concoction that
smelled and tasted like whisky. but
contained no whisky, was to be la
beled limitation.
THAT was all there was to the pro-
visions of the pure food law governing
interstate commerce in whisky. 1t
was such a simple. incontrovertible
regulation for square dealing that
every American who thought he knew
along what lines the administration
Of William a Taft would be con-
Quoted scoffed at the idea that the
question was not closed chapter.
when the rectifiers of Cincinnati
and Peoria hinted at the influence they
could bring to bear upon a Cincinnati
newspaper and Speaker Cannon and
prophesied the discrediting and the
downfall Of Wiley we thought them
Overconfident in proclaiming that they
could reopen contest which had been
won and won over and over by the
people, by the state food commission.
ers and friends Of pure food before
President Roosevelt and the federal
courts.
$50 there was wonder when there
followed President Taft's executive
order reopenihg the whisky branding
question settled by Attorney General
Bonaparte's successive opinions and
President Roosevelt's orders. giving ex.
ecutive effect thereto.
Taft's conseisnes RseoneiIsd.
"At the time Of the ruling in favor Of
the swindlers by Solicitor General
Bowers, in June. 1909. the North Amer
ican said: .'..l
'.The real meaning Of this reopened con-
troversy, Of course. IL that the conspiracy
to weaken. break down and nullify the
pure food laws is widespread, powerful
and persistent. With President
Taft rests the responsibility Of spreading
credence or giving the lie to the general
boasting Of the druggers Of food and
drink that the entire toll Of Roosevelt and
Wiley to safeguard the health Of the peo-
pie II to be obliterated before 1912 for the
benefit Of certain strong but not altruistic
interests.
"Six months consideration resulted
In President Taft's reconciling his con.
science to the PRONUNCIATION of presi
Dental decision legalizing every de.
mand Of the cheating poison makers of
the Taft-Cox and Joe Cannon baili-
wicks. But this notorious annulment
0f a n0rfion of tha work of Wilax and