WILLIAM HOWABD TAFT 459 criticising though it was a plank in the platform of the conven- tion that nominated him. When the Democrats came into power in Congress a bitter war was begun on the President which continued for two years. Persistent opposition was given to his every proposal anent the tariff. However, during his incumbency of the pres- idency he was able to secure much important legislation for which he asked. A postal savings system and a parcels post were established; a constitutional amendment empowering Congress to impose an income tax was ordered submitted to the states ; publicity of campaign contributions was provided for; withdrawals of lands by executive order were authorized, a very practical step toward conservation. Other important laws put on the statute books were : establishing a department of labor with a cabinet officer at the head of it; prescribing penalties for the white slave traffic ; providing for the organ- ization of a bureau of mines and a children's bureau, thus tending to improve labor conditions as to health, morals, and safety ; and other measures of an equally progressive nature. A conspicuous feature of his administration was its impar- tial prosecution of the trusts. With his fairness to all inter- ests and his lack of prejudice he maintained that all trusts should be prosecuted under the Sherman law, and not only those that had been especially flagrant violators or whose officers were persons widely known. This vigorous enforce- ment of the law was assailed in various quarters, but it had no effect on the President, who believed that laws were made to be enforced and obeyed. He was jealous of the prerogatives of his office and vetoed every attempt of Congress to attach ** riders*' to bills sent to him for approval in which it was sought to limit these pre- ' rogatives. Especially to be conunended was President Taft's handling of the deUcate Mexican situation. He might easily have drawn us into a war with the republic to the south had he been a man of less judicial temperament. He is an earnest advocate of universal peace. His position on this question is well put by him in a lecture at Yale in 1913 :
