The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-06-18

and I am going to venture 10 mention
it. You may not agree with me, but
one advantage about living in this
country is that even when people do
not agree with you, they let you live.
Some people have expressed regret
that l have been defeated or that l
have not seer all the reforms carried
out, but it is much better than it used
to be; they used to hang reformers,
now they simply defeat them. My
that has been worth more to me than
if he had left me all the wealth of Mr..
Rockefeller will leave his children.
He taught me that l could afford to be
il the minority but that I could not
afford to be in the wrong on M sub
ject. Do you believe that representa-
tives ought to represent? Do you be-
lieve that representatives should fol
low the wishes of their constituents?
I think you do. If you do you are will
ling to go a step further, and give the
people a method by which they can
cOlCrO1 Cn01r
am willing to go that far. 1 refer
red in New York to the initiative and
referendum, and some of the editors
acted as if they had never heard of
it. 1t was in the democratic NATIONAL
platform in 1900, that is, the principle
of direct legislation was endorsed.
The people have the right to control
their legislative body, and the initia-
tive referendum provide the
means. By the initiative the people
can compel submission of any question
upon which they wish to act, and by
the referendum they can sit in judg-
ment o the acts of their legislators
Is that strange doctrine? 1 do not
know what your constitutional pro-
visions are. My Brother Tucker says
that the governor has the veto power
that means that after the legislature
passes a bill the governor can veto it.
if one man can veto the act of
the legislature, why can not all the
people veto it? 1t is not a queer doct-
rine that one man is wiser han all
the people? If we are going to pro-
tect ourselves against taxation with
out representation We must have rep
resentatives who will represent, ami
the right of the people to have their
voice heard is more sacred than the
right of any legislator to vote as he
~pleases, if he pleases to oppose the
wishes of the people who elect him.
But 1 have already occupied NOR time
than l am entitled to. 1 appreciate
this opportunity to speak to you; |
appreciate the opportunity to p~artici-
pate il %honoring Americas greatest
orator. / am glad to participate in the
celebration of this day, when we in
the name of a patriot esh eho17
woke the name of a patriot whose
heart was linked to the hearts of his
people, and whose courage reflected
the courage of his nation. / am glad
to take part in an occasion when you
emphasize the doctrine that taxation
without representation is tyranny. l
am glad to utilize this occasion to dis
cuss the subject of taxation, for the
whole purpose of representative gov
eminent is TO secure justice. l learn
in the schools that there we're three
kinds of government; the monarchy,
the aristocracy and the democracy.
monarchy was supposed to be the
the aristocracy the wisest,
and the democracy the most just. If
these definitions were correct, 1 would
prefer the democracy, because justice
is, after all, the only foundation upon
which permanent government can rest
But I deny that monarchy is the stron-
gest and that a~ristocracy is h wis
wisdom of all the people is wiser
than a government that rests upon the
wisdom of a part, for all the people
know more than any of the people.
Neither is a monarchy the strongest.
1t is said to act more quickly, but
quickness is not the only characters
tic of strength. 1 believe with Ban
that a republic is, in truth, the
of all governments because
it builds it's citadel in the hearts of
men. / insist, therefore, our form of
government is not only the most just,
the wisest n strongest, and 1
wan it to be made stronger still by
being made more just if possible, thar
it is today. Because 1 opposed imper-