New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-02-12
ROOSEVELT FAVORS
VOTING FOR SENATORS
Believes Constitution Should Be
Amended to Provide for
Popular Elections.
FAVORS RECIPROCITY PLAN
Former President Hailed by
Cheering Throngs at Grand
Rapids, with Shouts of
Teddy in 1912"

|
OF the people is favored by ex-President
Theodore Roosevelt. He believes the Con-
stitutlon should be so amended as to pro-
| vide for popular election.
| In q Lincoln Day speech here tonight
| Colonel Roosevelt came out sQuarely In IA
| vor OF the movement.
"One Of the progressive policies upon
which / think the great majority OF pro-
gressives are agreed is that United States
senators should be elected by popular vote"
said Colonel Roosevelt. 1.-The Constitution
should. in my judgment, be so amended as
| to provide for this"
| Asserting that the present method OF
electing Senator'S was relic" Of old times
and should be remedied. Mr.. Roosevelt also
declared himself in favor of abolishing the
Electoral College in electing President.
| But he said, while he believed in the cleo
| ton of Senators by direct vote he did not
| favor any policy which would take away
from the federal government zone particle
Of the control which 1t now has as regards
the election Of Senator's"
Mr.. Roosevelt came here from New
| York to be the chief speaker at the Lin
coin anniversary celebration OF the Lin
! coin Club. His subject was Lincoln and
Progressive Republicanism." The dinner
| hall, seating more than 1900 people, was
crowded. The cheering which greeted the
| former Presidents appearance in the hall
was a continuation Of greeting which be-
/ gan upon his arrival in the afternoon when
| the crowds greeted him with cries OF
TEDDY for President in 1872"
Others at the speakers table tonight
were Hannis Taylor, former United States
Minister to Spain; Senator William o.
Bradley, of Kentucky; Governor Chase 5.
Osborn OF Michigan, Senator William Alden
Smith, Of Michigan; Congressman julius
Kahn. Of California, and Addison q. Proc
tor, who was delegate TO the Republican
National Convention in 1860
Mr.. Roosevelt's Address.
the adoption of the proposed reciprocity
treaty with Canada. He said:
In this region OF Michigan and the Inn
| mediate surrounding territory | am In the
birthplace of the Republican party 1t Is
| eminenty fitting that l should come here
and ask the Republican party 10 be true to
the principles which its founders professed.
| They could only be true TO those princi-
| pies by applying them 10 the new issues
| Of the present day. instead OF applaudins
| the fact that their fathers applied them 10
| the dead issues OF past day.
The Republican party must be progress
sive; otherwise it has no warrant for exist
| ing at all. 1t must show that 1t is the heir
| Of Abraham Lincoln, ana not the heir oil
| the cotton Wings, who so feared and de-
| nounced what they called his radicalsm
| But 1t is equally essential TO remember
Abraham Lincolns cool and temperate wis
| dom as well as his fiery zeal for right
eousness. There can be no real progress
| unless ii Is wise progress In other words
| the Republican party must be not only pro-
| gressive, but sane Abraham Lincoln won
| his place in history because he needed the
forces which overthrow the kind Of CON
! seryatsm which was typified by the follow
ers of Buchanan and Fillmore. But he was
able to overthrow these men because he de-
clned TO be led aside from the path OF
/ healthy progress TO follow the extremists
Of the John Brown and Wendell Phillips
| type. These two men rendered at times
| good service But If Abraham Lincoln had
| followed in their steps, the result would
! have been death to the nation We must
not be misled by mere names. AS compared
10 Buchanan and Fillmore, Lincoln was
! radical and extreme progressive. AS COM
| pared TO John Brown and Wendell Phillips
| he was a sane conservative, and he was
| right in both positions.
Direct Senatorial Elections.
one Of the progressive policies upon
| which ] think the great majority or Pro-
gressives are agreed Is that United States
| Senators should be elected by popular vote.
! The Constitution should. In my Judgment
| be so amended as 10 provide for this.
The insistence upon the election of Sena-
| tors in some way which shall not permit
the people TO pass directly upon them is
merely relic of the same feeling which
made the founders of the Constitution trust
| the election OF the President 10 the EIec-
toral College instead Of to direct popular
| vote. The same fears OF the people eX-
| pressed now by those who are against
| choice Of Senators by popular vote were ex-
| pressed century and quarter ago by
| the good and wise men who enormously
| felt that Il was not safe TO trust the cleo
| ton OF the President TO direct popular vote.
comparatively short experience con-
vinced the nation that the President should
| be voted for directly by the people. And
| although the form OF an Electoral Col
lege has been retained, the actual fact is
| that the vote for President is direct
vote, the electors having no function eN-
| cept formally 10 ratify the popular decree
and, II It were possible. even this slight
| function could with advantage be abolished.
None of the evils prophesied has result
ed from the change In the case OF the
President and the same thing, am. per-
| fectly sure, will happen when the change
IS made as regards Senators. 1t will be a
change markedly for good-tust as much
| for good as was the change in the case OF
the President. But the United States
| should under no circumstances surrender
one particle Of the control 1t now has as
regards the election Of Senators. To do so
1
grave and farreaching consequences. and
| absolutely no argument worth needing can
be advanced in favor Of such a change.
| l feel that we are to be congratulated as
nation upon the likelihood Of obtaining
n closer reciprocity OF tariff and trade re-
lations with Canada Among all the pow
ers OF the earth there is none with which
we should desire TO be upon more intimate
footing OF equal rights. to which we should
be more closely bound In relations OF NUT
ual helpfulness, esteem and good will, than
In the case Of our great neighbor 10 the
north, whose prosperity and growth should
be a matter OF pride TO all who dwell on
| the American continent. | welcome the
proposed reciprocity treaty as marking a
signal advance I'm bringing about the clos
est and most friendly relations between
| the two countries.
! Referring again to election OF Senators
by direct vote. Mr.. Roosevelt said:
| / know there are many excellent gentle
men who fear great disaster TO this coun-
try will result II we elect the members OF
| the Senate. and they point TO the wisdom
OF the founders of the Constitution. There
| probably never was a body OF men who
struck off at a single blow such a wise doc
ument as our Constitution. But in apply
| ing old principles to new methods we wish
TO treat the Constitution, not as a strait
| jacket to prevent growth, but as sup.
port TO encourage us TO grow lusty and
erect. Principles remain the same. but con-
! ditions change the method Of application
1t is no disloyalty 10 our forefathers 10
ask that We now be allowed the same free
dom In selecting our Senators as We are
allowed In selecting our Presidents.
| What we Progressive Republicans are
| striving for Is TO induce him that hath and
| him that hath not to come TO n better I'M
Outstanding for the public good. New ma
| tionaism is the application OF old morali-
| ties TO new conditions. | have been spoken
OF as being too extreme, too radical. Most
| Of what ] preach YOU can find In the Ten
| re-. Ayta1n \ att mt 10 aTfata