Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-03-23

Roosevelt in Speech at Los An
geles Makes Pointed Com
ment on Senator.
ELECTION SYSTEM WRONG
Cpholds Recall of Judges Under Cir
cumStances That Prevail in
the Coast State.

! Los Angeles, March 23-Colonel
( Theodore Roosevelt yesterday aroused
an audience of 1000 Californians TO a
high pitch of enthusiasm by his en-
phatic declarations of four PROPOSE
tons
He commended the people of Cali
fornia for their progressive govern
ment, saying that it Appropriated his
governmental idea" he endorsed the
proposed constitutional amendment
providing for the recall of the judiciary
of California; he denounced the United
States senate for seating Mr.. Lorimer,
and endorsed the move for a shorter
ballot.
Colonel Roosevelt left at S O'Clock
ar night for Berkeley and San Fran
cisco. At Berkeley he will deliver
series of lectures.
REFERS TO LoRIAIER.
Referring to the seating of United
States Senator Lorimer, Colonel Roose-
welt said:
Il call your attention 10 two or three
queer features connected with the LoT-
inner vote in the United States senate.
Lorimer stays in the United States SEN
ate because the senators, who are no
longer senators, when they had but As
hours more 20 serve. said he could con-
tinue after they had left. A majority
Of the present colleagues of Mr.. Lori
mer voted against him. He was kept
in his seat by the senators whom the
people had decided they no longer
wished TO see in the senate of the
United States.
SHOULD BE DESTROYED.
And again. the statement was made
in debating the proposed amendment
to provide for the election of United
States senators by popular vote. that
we would destroy the character Of the
United States senate If we altered the
present method of electing senators. |
Good!
Now. will call your attention to
his fact in the vote: Five-sixths of |
the senators who voted against the |
popular election of United States SEN
ators voted for Mr.. Lorimer, who had |
been chosen under the very worst sys-
-em that can obtain under the old !
rules in a state legislature.
There is one reform we have not
vet adopted I understand your legis-
ature is going to vote on it soon.
most earnestly hope they will adopt it.
It is the principle of the short ballot"
AS LAST RESORT.
Colonel Roosevelt in his speech yes
erday afternoon before the City club
declared in favor Of the recall Of judges
n California.
The colonel reiterated his statement
made at Phoenix in which he said that
n his Judgment the recall of Judges
should not be adopted until by actual
the people were driven to
I as a necessary but regrettable meth
ID of doing away with some worse evil.
when / uttered those last sentences
was thinking particularly of your con-
ition here in California" reclared the
olcnel
He said that conditions in California
we're such as to render it imperative
o provide methods for removing any
udge when the people became convinc-
d that his retention on the bench was
o longer in the interest of justice and
air dealing from the standpoint of the
eople.
SPEAKS TO STUDENTS.
Oakland, Cal. March 23.-Roose-
cit arrived here today to give the
nnual charter day address 10 the stu
ents of the University of California.