El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-03-20
ROOSEVELT ON THE
CONSTITUTION
Of ARIZONA
CONTINUED from page one,

no less a believer in the rights OF the
states, wherever the rights Of the
states mean the rights of the people,
and in this case the rights of the peo-
pie include the right of the people OF
any state to decide upon any course
of action it deems best in this matter
The United States government is IN
honor bound to admit Arizona under
its present constitution.
Cites Some Objections.
Now. my friends, while in the
fullest way I thus acknowledge you
your right to form the constitution
that you have formedi and to be ad-
mitted Hereunder to full membership
in the federal union, I also wish it
distinctly understood that while there
are many provisions in your constitu-
ton with which 1 most heartily agree,
there are some with which I disagree,
and notably among these is the pro-
vision of the recall, especially affect
ing the Judiciary
Il uphold the right as you think fit
in this matter, but I do not believe the
position you have seen fit to take IS
wise.
81 feel strongly the wrongfulness of
the position your opponents take in
treating your adoption of the recall Of
the judiciary as a justification for re-
fusing to admit you to union, Yet 1
also emphatically feel that under your
conditions the proposal you have made
is against the interests of justice and
therefore against your interests.
Objects to the Recall.
'I admit the melancholy fact that
there are states where judges have so
acted as to make it justifiable and
necessary for the people to adopt
measures for retiring all such judges
from office. But, speaking general
", and as regards most communities
under normal conditions I feel that il
is to our self interest, to the interest
of decent citizens who want nothing
but justice in its broadest and truest
sense. not to adopt any measure
which would make judges tinnid, which
would make them fearful lest decid
ing rightly in some given case might
arouse a storm of anger, temporary
but fatal You should shun every
measure which would deprive judges
of the rugged Indifference and
STRAIGHTFORWARD courage which it is so
prominently the interest of the com
munity to see that they preserve.
Some way should be provided by
which in extreme cases and after
careful elaboration it should be pos
sible to remove a judge, even though
the circumstances would not Justify
his impeachment; but I think that
some much wiser method than that
you have devised in your constitution
should be adopted-some method fire.
from the vicious effects which the
adoption of your constitution would,
1 believe. tend to cause. In any event,
a measure fraught with such posi-
bilities Of mischief, as the recall of
judges as you have provided for it,
should not be adopted until by &C
tual experience you are driven to it as
a necessary but regrettable method of
doing away with some even worse
evil
A Means to the End.
"Do remember. my friends. that the
question of the form OF government,
though it is important, it is Of infin-
itely less importance than the ques-
ton of the spirit in which the peo-
pie support and stand for government
The initiative. referendum and recall
are not in themselves ends Of value
they are simply means for the
achievement of an end. The conditions
under which they are exercised will
largely determine their value, and
unless the results are good, then no
matter what the theory about them
may be, they will stand as having
been found wanting. No matter what
your governmental form may be,
your condition will be bad If you eth
er surrender yourself to an attitude of
sympathy with and support Of the
privileged classes who endeavor to ex-
plot the community, or If you sur
render yourself to the load of the po-
litical quack. the extremist, the theo-
rist, the visionary. or the sinister
demagogue who seeks to reach high
place by appealing to envy and NAL
ice. If you do not practice self
control, you will merely show that
you need to be controlled from the
outside; and it is especially incum-
bent upon you to practice self con-
troll at the very outset Of your ca
reer as a state. and to recognize the
fact that the safest and best represen-
tative you can have is the represen-
tative who. while in the closest SYM
pathy with and eagerly DESTROYS to
represent the people. nevertheless
recognizes as his paramount duty his
obligation to be true to every de-
mand that principle makes for him.
He can serve you best if he declines to
serve you against his conscience and