The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1912-03-28
..eosEs PRESIDENTS ATTITUDE
an POPULAR GOVERNMENT.
paopIe's Voice Must Prevail
r...red for Speech In Opening Active
Campaign for Observation-Disclosures
Taft as Opposed to the Majority.
e,ands squareIy on His Columbus,
Ohio, Address.

saI;vered in Carnegie Hall, new YORK,
Wednesday evening, is given below.
The great fundamental issue now
hafore the republican party and be-
sora our people can be stated briefly
n il. are the American people fit to
cavern themselves, to rule them
calves to control themselves?
believe they are. My opponents
A. mot | believe In the right of the
naople to rule believe that the ma,
iority of the plain people in the Unit
~ states will, do, day in and day
Ant maze fewer mistakes in govern
ing themselves than any similar class
| ~ body OF men, no matter what their
training, will make in trying to govern
them. | believe again that the Amer
lean people as a whole, are capable of
self control and of learning by their
| mistakes Our opponents pay lip 10y
alty to this doctrine, but they show
| sheir real beliefs by the way in which
thew champion every device to make
the nominal rule of the people sham.
i have scant patience with this talk
Of the tyranny of the majority. When
ever there is tyranny of the majority
shall protest against it with all my
heart and soul. But we are today
| suffering from the tyranny of the mi
norities. 1t is small minority that
ID grabbing our coal deposits, our
water powers and our harbor fronts.
| A small minority is fattening on the
| sale OF adulterated foods and drugs.
| Ii Is small minority that lies behind
monopolies and trusts 1t is a small
| minority that stands behind the pres
| emit law of master and servant, the
| sweatshops and the whole calendar OF
| social and industrial injustice. 1t is
| small minority that is today using
| our convention system to defeat the
will of majority of the people in the
choice of delegates to the Chicago
convention.
My opponents charge that two
things in my program are wrong be-
4 cause they intrude into the sanctuary
Of the judiciary.
The first is the recall of judges and
| the second the review by the people
| Of judicial decisions on certain excep-
| tional questions. / have said again
| and again that do not advocate the
/ recall OF judges in all states and in all
4 communities. The integrity of our
judges, from Marshall to White and
4 Holmes-and to Cullen and many 9TH
/ srs In our state-is a fine page of
American history. Butt say it SO
berly-democracy has right to APP
proach the sanctuary of the courts
when a special interest has corruptly
found sanctuary. and this is exactly
what has happened in some of the
states where the recall of the judges
living issue. Is 1t not equally
/ plain that the question whether a CIV
On social policy 10 for the public good
ID hot Of judicial nature, but should
% settled by the legislature or in the
maj instance, by the people them
selves?
The president Of the United States,
MI. Tart. devoted most of a recent
speech to criticise some of this prop
osltion. He says that ut is utterly
xilnout merit or utility and, instead
o. being In the interest of all the peo-
PIE and OF the stability of popular
government, is sowing the seeds of
Soniuslon and tyranny" BY this he
course meant the tyranny of the
malority-that IL the tyranny of the
american people as a whole.
ne also says that my proposal,
(which as he rightly sees it, is merely
proposal to give the people a real
Instead OF only a nominal chance to
eopslrue and amend state legislation
WIN reasonable rapidity) would make
.sen amendment and Interpretation
uepend on the feverish, uncertain
auu unstable determinations of sue
.sssive votes on different laws by
~mporary and changing majorities,"
qua tnat ut lays the axe at the foot
'ne tree of well ordered freedom
inv uau subjects the guarantees of lite,
Aso,'y and prosperity without remedy,
.ne ftful impulse of a temporary
majority of an electorate"
!, MS criticism is really less crit
..'sm OF my proposal than a criticism
al popular government. 1t is who'll
unfounded, unless it is founded on
~ pelief that the people are funda-
ar u.aiiy untrustworthy. This is the
aaes.ion that l propose to submit to
NJ people. How can the prevailing
h'ai'ty or a preponderant opinion
= better and more exactly ascer-
. nv tnan by vote of the people?
y, me people must know better than
~ ~ court what their own morality and
s sasir own opinion is. l ask that you
49,, you and others like you, you, the
ssople' be given the chance to state
m M own views OF justice and public
sv.alty and not sit meekly by and
s your views announced for you
F wen meaning adherents of outworn
.,a0sophies. who exalt the pedantry
Ia. .ormuias above the vital needs of
Ne. ~, Tafts position is the position
a .a nss been held from the beginning
vas' wi government. although not al
~ rs 80 openly held, by a large num-
- VI foDufah l~ -