Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-18

Squarely behind President Hoover in
his crusade for law enforcement looms
the stal@art figure of Americas most
famous critic of our system of criminal
jurisprudence, Chief Justice Taft of the
United States Supreme Court.
From his seat on the platform at the
east front of the Capitol few days
back, the Chief Justice lent eager ears
to the pledge of the newly sworn Presi-
dent to find out what is wrong with the
Nations legal and judicial machinery.
From his Office on the third floor
of his spacious wyoming avenue home,
and deep-seated satisfaction the day
to-day developments in the Govern
ment's greatest offensive against crime.
Nearly quarter of century ago,
while Secretary of War, Mr.. Taft in a
public address declared:
II grieve for my country to say that
the administration of the criminal law
in all of the States of the Union-there
may be one or two exceptions-is dis
grace to our civilization. We are now
reaching an age when we cannot plead
youth, sparse civilization. newness of
country, as cause for laxity in en-
forcement of the law"
Anxiety Increased as President.
His grief was not assuaged with the
passing of the years Becoming Pres1-
dent, his anxiety over the problem of
law enforcement increased. for from
that high vantage place the perspec-
tive was gloomier than ever. Moving
from his presidential post onto the
bench of his country's highest judicial
tribunal, Mr.. Taft appraised the picture
from different angle and at closer
range, but he found no reason for alter
ing his original impression.
When a supreme optimist like the
Chief Justice Is moved to grief over the
sordid situation in which society finds
itself as a result of the spreading cpl
demic of lawlessness, there really must
be something wrong. somewhere.
To use the words of Chief Justice
Taft: I'VE are sn easy-going people,
prone to allow abuses to creep In until
they become so Objectionable that we
rouse ourselves and then work radical
| reforms"
Hopes Time is at Hand.
'I hope such time is at hand now"
he told the National Crime Commits
sion some months ago. THE country
at large is ripe for measures of this
kind"
At that time he made special refer
ence to the Baumes law in New York, a
radical reform" which he feels is a
reaction in favor of "the forgotten man
the victim of the murderer and the
robber and the criminal"
The Chief Justice sees In President
Hoover's plan for a sweeping and
searching inquiry into all phases OF
| law-evasion and law-derision the reali-
cation of his long hoped-for revolt by
society against the crime wave. The
revolution had to come. sooner or later
That it is at hand is due in no small
| degree to the persistent campaign for
reform waged, almost single-handed at
times, by the able jurist now presiding
over the Nations court of last appeal
Mr.. Taft first became aroused over
the problem of law enforcement while
practicing his profession before the
Ohio bar. A novice in the legal game.
he was amazed to learn that justice
was being thwarted and that criminals
were evading punishment through re-
sort to legal trickery, archaic statutes
and correlated devices.
Maudlin Appeals Sicken.
He saw a murderer escape the moose
because his lawyer was able to pack"
the jury and to lead 1t from paths of
judicial reason by maudlin appeals to
sentiment.
He saw an outraged community rise
up In indignation and burn the court
house In which had occurred this flag
rant perversion of justice.
The young Ohio lawyer. shocked at
these events. determined then and
there to become crusader for judicial
reform in the community. His view
of the problem was purely a local one
in those early days. He was, to learn
however, that what was true of his ma
tive State was true also of many other
States. With the growth of this reali-
cation he found himself called by con-
| science and by an inherent sense of
public duty to broaden the scope Of his
crusade. Indeed. Mr.. Taft dedicated
his life to the cause of awakened JUS
tice."