Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1912-02-28
RoosEVELT's DOCTRINE
is MOST DANGEROUS
Senator Rayner Excoriates ex-Presi-
dent on Floor Of Senate.

senator haJHST EhSOi iceSS ~ . 49,
dent on Floor of Senate.
Washington, Feb 27.-Reversal OF
judicial decisions by popular vote, as
proposed BY ex-President Roosevelt in
his Columbus address last week, was
denounced in the senate today by
Senator Raynor Of Maryland, as the
most dangerous doctrine ever brought
forward ry anyone who has the slight
est regard for the stability of our in
situations ard whose opinion is enti-
tied to any weight or respect
No Man Easier to Defeat.
Senator R2ynor declared that in dis
cussing the X-president, who again is
a candidate for the republican nomi-
nation for president, he did not speak
as d partisan, because he believed the
republicans could nominate no man
who would be easier to defeat.
Not an Ordinary Agitator.
ar President" said Senator Ray
nor, If a proposition of this sort had
been advanced by an ordinary agita-
tor or by an anrchist. no attention
would be paid to it; the people would
understand that it was utterly mean
jngless and it would involve no actual
danger to the republic. We must
realize, however that this IL the ut
terance Of a political leader, who oc-
cupies today as prominent a place
before the public IS any one in the
country, who is gifted with tremen-
dous power, who commands great
popularity, and who for seven years
occupied the position of president of
the United States and who is now a
candidate again for the office.
One Newspaper Apology.
Il would like to accept the apology
that has been offered for him by one
Of the leading papers of the country
when it says:
we shall pay Mr. Roosevelt the
compliment of stating that we DO not
think that he believes a word of the
nonsense he uttered in this speech
a Crazy Proposal.
Put cannot do so. ! would rather
accept the critics of another great
paper, which observes in its editorial
columns as follows, in calling to the
attention of everybody this salient
feature of his address:
We beg leave to remark that it is
the most astonishing and, in the view
of healthy intelligence. the craziest
proposal that ever emanated either
from himself or from any other states
man since the organization of our gov
ernment by law
Other Proposals Its Equal.
4 am inclined TO think that the
last criticism goes perhaps a little too
far when it says that it is the crazi-
est proposal that ever emanated from
himself, because ! have sometimes
taken the liberty 10 submit 10 the
senate number of other proposals of
the eX-president which are equal to it
in this regard.
RooseVeIt's Motive.
Now. there is a motive for all this,
and there is a cause for this attack
upon the institutions of the land. l
think | can tell you what it is. 1t
arises from the fact that when Mr..
Roosevelt was president he was not
allowed to influence and control the
decisions OF the courts, and they de-
Clined 20 pass under the domination of
his arbitrary and imperious will. OF
course, judges are only human; they
have made mistakes and their adjudi-
cations are not divine but one thing
they have done to their eternal credit
and that is that they have stood as a
barrier between him and d'ctatorial
usurpa ton.
Believed He Should Control Courts.
During tho whole of his adminislra-
ton he had an idea lingering in his
mird that it was the duty of the
courts to carry out the policy of the
executive branch of the government
and this belief was connected with an
other idea, and that was that, so far
&c
ne was absolutely supreme, unlimited
by the specifications of the instrument
that created him.
Il had hoped that outbreaks like this
were over when Mr.. Roosevelt abdi-
Gated his place a few years ago and
started upon his restful and harmless
expedition to the jungles of Africa tc
slaughter animals that Providence had
never created. You know what l be-
lieve, Mr.. President" continued the sen
ator. Il believe there are large mum
Der of Mr.. Roosevelt's followers in this
country who would today favor vest
ing him with autocratic power.
Is Sincere and Motive Not Corrupt
snake no mistake" he concluded, %
am not eXaggerating the situation. He
is perfectly sincere, and his motive is
not a corrupt one, and he will dc
this because he is possessed with &
mad fancy that this is and ought t.
be an executive government, that the
powers Of the executive ought to ovel
ride those of the legislative and judi.
cial branches of the public service
and what he proposes is not a consti-
| tutional. amendment because he know.
he cannot procure, but by all the pat
ronage and all the power and all tn,
resources that he can command t
practically force upon the country al
! Interpretation Of our organic law tina
| will level its distinctions and mutilatt
| and oblitcrate its checks and balances
He will then. in the pursuit of hi
own Unsuitable ambition, possess a de
| gree Of autocratic power that no pres
| tdent Of the United States has eve
| attained or would have ever dared t,
exercise, except at the risk of i'm
| parchment
y -