The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-04-06
ROOSEVELT AT LOUISVILLE,

Col. Roosevelt, IN his talk at Louis
vile. Kentucky, continued his assaults
upon President Taft and his misrepre.
sentations Of President Taft S position.
He attacked President Taft s iuteli-
gence on the matter Of Taft being a
progressive. The President states that
he is a progressive, and shows that he
is so, not only by the declaration of his
political doctrine, but by the practical
workings of his administration. He
claims and proves that his is a pro,
gressive administration; and it certainly
is. The President is in the vanguard
of political progress, and no reasonable,
candid man has the least reason to
charge that he is either insincere or
mistaken On this point. And yet Roose-
welt makes this charge, claiming that
President Taft is so dull of compreheu"
sion, that he does not know what he is
talking about when he claims to be a
progressive. On this point, he consid.
ers President Taft ga well-meaning
man, vaguely thinking Of himself as a
progressive. without having the faint
est conception Of what progressive
is. That is, President Taft is too
stupid TO know what he is talking
about. We think that will do for
Roosevelt. President Taft is not the
sort Of man 10 talk about anything
without understanding what he is talk
ing about AS between the two. Presl-
dent Taft is infinitely more likely to
know exactly what he is talking about
than Roosevelt is. Roosevelt is scat
ter-witted voluble talker, often saying
| things that he does not mean, and con.
tradic;ing himself without the least
| shame or hesitation, and occupying to-
tally irreconcilable attitudes from time
to time on any given question. Presi-
| dent Taft has never been accused Of
! ANYTHING like this. while Roosevelt is
constantly before the public in exactly
that role For Roosevelt TO attacl;
Taft on this ground. therefore, is the
height of sublime impudeDee,
On the point of the recall of judi
cial decisions by the people. allowing
them to decide by vote whether they
will or will not oyerrule decision OF
a State court on constitutional oUes
ton, President Taft said that this sort
of thing was LAYING the axe at the root
Of the tree of freedom. 1t certainly /.
so: for. il would place every state IN {
condition of anarchy as often as the
people ovevruled the decision OF tb'
court on a constitutional question. Wner
q court saws and clearly demonstrates
as it often does, that a given statute
is unconstitutional. II clearly - so
and the trained mind acknowledges Il
once the conclusive logic of the court
and sees that the conclusion is right
N the same time. the populace. mo-
being trained in the consideration o.
questions OF law, may not like the de
cision. and Nigh, overrule IT If tnei
liberty to do so were established b!
law. But. with the people overruiini
a court decision which was clearly right
what would be cainedl The statut'
would he made valid 70 be sure. bu
IL would still be repuguant TO the pro
visions OF the constitution which ii In
fringed upon. And on all other lik,
legislation, where the same priucipl,
was established, which should govern
the vote of the people in overruling
given statute, or the constitution a
applied 70 the subsequent legislation
Clearly the court would be obliged /,
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ueoh oSn,nnleted tal that county next "eeS