The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1912-05-17
TAFTS RECORD ON THE
RECALL OF DECISIONS

mutation of q presidential Oroer
Leealizina Every Demand of the
Makers of Imitation Whisky = He
"Reealled" Seven Federal Court De-
eisions to Accommodate the oppo-
nents of Roosevelt and DR.. Wiley.
Now that Mr. Taft is SO violent In
his opposition to any proposal to per
NIT the people of a state to assert
their understanding of the meaning
of the constitution made by them
when that meaning has been per
verted by a judicial ruling. il is well
to examine his past record IN this
particular. Recorded facts prove that
President Taft Is not opposed tn the
"recaIl 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 100,OO0,O00 Americans
Here is an expose" especially in
teresting at this time. 1t appears in
the editorial columns of the Philadel
phla 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 unfolding 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 Ee 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
WHISTLES was to be labeled blend A
mixture of whisky with something
that is not whisky was to be labeled
compound. A connection that
smelled and tasted like whisky. but
contained no whisky. was to be la
beled imitation
THAT was all there was to the pro-
visions of the pure food law governing
nj tut in " 4
was such simple, ncontrovertibie
regulation for square dealing that
every American who thought he knew
along what lines the administration of
William II Taft would be conducted
scoffed at the idea that the question
was not closed chapter.
When the rectitiers of Cincinnati
and Peoria limited at the influence they
could bring to bear upon a Cincinnati
newspaper aud Speaker Cannon and
prophesied the discrediting and the
downfall of Wiley we thought them
overconfdent 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 reopening the whisky branding
question settled by Attorney General
Bonapartes successive opinions and
President Rooseyelt's orders giving ex
ecutive effect thereto
Taft's Conscience Reconciled.
AT the time of the ruling in favor of
the swindlers by Solicitor General
Bowers, in June. 1909 the North Amer
lean said:
1.-THE real meaning of this reopened con-
troversy, of course. is 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 is to be obliterated before 1912 for the
benefit Of certain strsng 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 BALL.
wicks But this notorious annulment
of portion of the work of Wiley and
Roosevelt Is not the point of present
comment. The focus of present inter
est is President Taft's aversion toward
any questioning Of the sanctity of in
dicial decisions.
But when the food committee of the
National Consumers league addressed
to President Taft an appeal for the
recall of DR.. Wiley's resignation and
cited certain facts decidedly pertinent
TO President Tafts Mortified denuncia-
tons OF 'nostrum makers aud sub
verters of the constitution who lay
the ak to the root of the tree of liberty
who dare question the infallibnity OF
any judicial construction of any law?
For the Consumers league makes
clear in taking up the Taft decision in
favor OF the makers of imitation whis-
ky that In this ruling the president re-
called the decisions OF President Roose-
welt. Attorney General Bonaparte. So