The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-04-19
ASSERTS THAT SOME
FOLKS ARE INS|NcERE
President Taft Flags Advocates
OF Judicial Recall.

'NoN IoFh, Apiii Il fesiueHt 4 All
charged that many of those persons
who advocate the recall of judges OF
the recall of judicial decisions are in.
sincere demagogues. acting without
sufficient knowledge of the need for
preservation of the Constitution or its
guarantees.
Some of the men who preach the re.
call, he said, were sincere, but all OF
them acted from desire to propose
change rather than with any definite
plan for the Improvement of condi.
tions.
The president was speaking to the
Union League club of New York. He
mentioned no names.
Mr.. Taft came to New York to keep
two engagements. The first was with
fellow members of Yale, as. at the
University club; the other was with
the Union League club, which recent.
ly announced its endorsement of his
candidacy.
In beginning his speech the presi-
dent thanked the Union League clubs
of New York and Philadelphia for
their recent endorsements of his can
didacy 1t has been unusual for these
organizations, he said, to take any
part In preconvention campaigns.
Something Is at Stake.
But" he added. circumstances
have made the present. preconvention
campaign of such character that
both the Philadelphia and New York
clubs have indicated in resolutions
conviction on the part of nearly all
their members that there is something
at stake In this campaign that should
awaken the interest and arouse the
action of all who believe in the prin-
ciples and form OF government that
are embodied in our present Constitu-
ton and who cherish the institutions
preserved and secured by that Consti-
tuition as essential to the maintenance
of liberty regulated by law
1.-The necessity that there was for
arousing our people TO prevent the
abuses of corporate privilege and
power and to wrest from concentrated
wealth the exercise of political control
and the success that had attended
such agitation among the people, he
continued, have been taken advan-
tage of by persons, some of them sim
cere. some of them demagogues and
all OF them with an insufficient knowl-
edge of the necessity in the main
tenance of liberty and progress of our
Constitution and its guarantees. to pro-
pose changes, rather for the sake OF
change than with any definite plan of
improving the body polite.
Subject TO Popular Review.
"Becauseeourts have not manifested
as quick perception of the advantages
to be realized from these proposed
changes, and in some Instances have.
perhaps unduly broadened constitu.
valid. 1t is proposed to change the
whole nature of our judicial system
and render it subject to popular re.
view, either by what is called the re-
call OF the judges when their conduct
on the bench is not approved by
majority of the voting electorate, or
by recall of decision and a reversal
OF the Judgment of the judges when
ever they declare invalid legislative
enactment which they deem to be in
violation OF the fundamental law.
at was not until the sensitive nerve
NJ the serioua minded neonIe of this
country was touched by the PROPOSE.
ton to recall the judges. or TO recall
their decisions, that such people OF all
classes began to realize the impious
hands were likely to be laid upon the
ark of the covenant. which is the indie
pendence of the judicial branch of our !
A profound protest was
heard from all thinking people against |
the proposal.
Il am here TO express my satisfac. !
tion that the members OF this club !
have felt it their duty TO express TO !
the public at large their sense of the
crisis through which our institutions |
are passing and the necessity for |
as we would our liberty and +
everything that we hold dear in our |
homes and our life, against the inno- |
that are so recklessly advo- |
Gated BY men who profess to be act |
Ing in the interest of reform and prog |
+ Z