Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-03-22
ROOSEVELT, RADICAL


m HEODoRE ROOSEVELT begins
his editorial career by an appeal
= Tor a humanizing of the bench.
His plea is Part of the little article
entitled "A Judicial Experience" which
leads the Outlook. This is an innocent
looking paper, which begins in remin-
is ent vein, and leads on, and on-untii
the astonished reader taken by Sur
prise, finds himself called on to approve
or disapprove the most extreme and
radical sentiments with regard to a
highly important part of the EstAb-
lished Order of Things which have ever
been uttered or written by a man OF
such authority and experience as that
fearless and radical reformer, the re-
cent president of the United States.
With the cares and restraints of his
august Office left behind, Colonel Roose-
welt has evidently made up his mind to
be true to his instincts, and to shock
the country, if need be, or all mankind,
if need be, as many another fearless
| and radical reformer has done before
him, but to stick to his principles, the
principles of fearless and radical
reform, and to fight for them fearlessly
and radically.
He says an early experience with a
| tenement house case while he was in
the New York legislature made a deep
impression on him. Judges rendered a
decision by which anything like an
effective reformation of tenement house
conditions was deferred for fifteen OIL
twenty years, and during that time
men, women and children were GUAR
ANTEED THEIR LIBERTY-to tester
in sodden misery"
Continuing, he says: 1.-THE judges
that made the decision were learned in
the law, and according to their own
lights were upright and honorable men.
But they were men without any sym
pathetic understanding or knowledge
of the needs and conditions of life of
the great mass of their fellow country
men. If those judges had understood
how the other half lived, if they had
possessed a working knowledge of ten
ement houses and factories, of tene-
ment house jewellers and factory work
ers, and of the lives that were lived
where the tenement house and the fac
tory were one and the same, 1 am abso-
lutely certain they would have rem
dered no such decision as was rendered
They knew the life of the well-to do,
both the business life and the home
life. THEY KNEW NOTHING OF
THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO WE'RE
! NOT WELL TO DO. 1t was this lack
of knowledge and the attendant lack
of sympathetic understanding that
formed the real barrier between the
judges and a wise judgment"
Mr.. Roosevelt explains why he has
recalled this incident in his experience,
He says: my reason for relating
this anecdote is because FROM THAT
DAY TO- THIS HAVE FELT AN
EVER-GROWING CONVICTION OF
THE NEED OF HAVING ON THE
BENCH MEN WHO, IN ADDITION
TO BEING LEARNED IN THE LAW
AND UPRIGHT, SHALL POSSESS A
BROAD UNDERSTANDING OF AND
SYMPATHY WITH THEIR COUN-
TRYMEN AS A WHOLE, so THAT
THE QUESTIONS OF HUMANITY
AND OF SOCIAL JUSTICE SHALL
NOT BE CONSIDERED BY THEM
! AS WHOLLY INFERIOR TO THE
DEFENSE OF VESTED RIGHTS OR
THE UNFOLDING OF LIBERTY OF
CONTRACT"
Mr.. Roosevelt proceeds to make the
blunt charge that the working classes
and poorer classes in the United States
do not always get square deal in the
| courts.
when vested rights become en-
trenched wrongs" he says THEY
| SHOULD BE OVERTURNED. do
not for one believe the mass of our
Judges are actuated by any but worthy
motives. Nevertheless, l do believe
they often signally fail to protect the
laboring man and the laboring mans
widow and children to their just rights,
and that HEARTBREAKING AND
PITIFUL INJUSTICE TOO OFTEN
RESULTS THEREFROM; and this
primarily because our judges lack
either the opportunity or the power
thoroughly to understand the working
mans and the working woman's posi-
| ton and vital needs"