New-York tribune., 1912-02-29
From The Tribune Bureau

Washington. February 2s.
Mr.. TAFTS HARD TASK.-The most
difficult task which confronts President
Taft I'm this campaign is not the winning
of the nomination. but the exercise Of such
preclude sharp derunclation Of his prede-
cessor Mr. Taft is doing everything in his
power to forestal attacks on Colonel
Roosevelt. and keen as is the resentment
felt by practically every member of his
Cabinet, he will probably be able 10 control
them: but when II comes to other Repub-
licans. equally loyal but more remote from
the President. the task will be increasingly
difficult The most effective argument
which the President is using Is that on him
rests the responsibility for success i'm No
vember and that if too much bitterness Is
engendered now II will create a situation
which will greatly initiate against Repub-
llcan success All the machinery at the
command Of the President is being used to
impress this argument on regular Repub-
licans, and he is hopeful OF success,
although the bitterness OF the privately ex-
pressed opinions of many influential Re
publicans is an occasion of genuine anX-
self does not believe that Colonel Roose-
welt has deliberately conspired to wrest
the nomination from him, but, on the con-
trary. takes the ground that he has been
misled by the selfish appeals of others.
THREE YEARS AGO.-Apropos of the
statement in this column last Tuesday that
IL is not the President who has changed,
but Mr.. Roosevelt a reader of The Tribune
called my attention TO the following state
ment The courts hold place of peculiar
and deserved sanctity under our form of
government. Respect for the law is essen
tial to the permanence of our institutions,
and respect for the law is largely condi-
toned upon respect for the courts. 1t Is an
offence against the Republic TO say any
thing which can weaken this respect. save
for the graVest reason and in the most
carefully guarded manner. Our judges
should be held in peculiar honor, and the
duty of respectful and truthful comment
and criticism. which should be binding when
we speak of anybody. should be especially
binding when we speak of them. On an
average they stand above any other ser
wants of the community, and the greatest
judges have reached the high level held by
those few greatest patriots whom the whole
country delights to honor. But we must
face the fact that there are wise and un-
wise judges. just as there are wise ana
unwise executives and legislators. When a
President or a Governor behaves improp-
erly or unwisely the remedy is easy, for
his term is short: the same Is true with
the legislator, although not to the same
degree, for he is one OF many who belong
to some given legislative body, and Il Is
therefore less easy to fix his personal re-
sponsibiity and hold him accountable
therefor. With judge who. being human,
is also likely to err. but whose tenure is
for life. there is no similar way Of holding
him to responsibility. Under ordinary con-
ditions the only forms Of pressure TO which
ne is in any way amenable are public opin-
ion and the action OF his fellow Judges. II
is the last which is most Immediately ef-
fective. and to which we should look for
the reform of abuses. Any remedy applied
from without is fraught with risk. 10 IS
far better, from every standpoint, that the
remedy should come from tUithn. In no
other nation In the world do the courts
WELD such vast and farreaching power as
I'm the United States. All that is necessary
is that the courts as a whole should exer-
else this power with the farsighted wisdom
already shown by those judges who scan
the future while they act in the present.
Let them exercise this great power not only
honestly and brayey, but with wise insight
into the needs and fixed purposes of the
people, so that they may do justice and
work equity; so that they may protect all
persons in their rights and yet break down
the barriers of privilege which is the foe OF
right That is not a statement of Presi-
dent Taft. but an extract from the last
annual message OF President Roosevelt.
PRESIDENT AND MEXICO.-The report
that President Taft was seeking the author
ity of Congress to send troops across the
Mexican boundary appears to have been
premature. He has not sought such au-
thorty,> and sincerely hopes it will not be