Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-03-11
WANTS VERDICT
OF The PEOPLE
Roosevelt Renews His De
mand for the Primary.

Washington, March H. Renewin
bis demand for the presidential prj
mary and charging Mr. Taft and b.,
followers In effect with regarding th.
present conquest as a game to b
played for the purpose OF winning 3
personal prize. q game In which the In
terests OF the people are ut stake, but
In which they have no choice, Colonel
Roosevelt In q letter to bis manager,
Senator Dixon, reviews the recent In
terchange Of communications between
Senator Dixon and Congressman Nc.
Kinley, the Taft manager. and tells
what he thinks of the issues involved.
The letter says IN part:
Ny Dear Senator Dixon-I have seen
your correspondence with Mr.. Mckinley.
You proposed to him that as far as posi-
Bile the selection Of the Republican candi-
date for the presidency should be deter
mined by the voters OF the party IN pref
erentiai presidential primaries. Mr.. Nc
Kinley's answer Is contained In one sen
tence in the letter sent you:
II do not favor changes In the rules OF
the ram while the game is in progress. =
This point Of view expressed in that sem
tence contains the Tissue within the Re
publican party at this time. We who
stand for he progressive cause. for the
aus OF honest and genuine democracy,
genuine representative government. hold
that q public contest between parties or
within parties 10 not carried on A. a game,
10 not carried on for the purpose Of WIN
ming prizes for the contestants or with q
view to the general wishes or welfare OF
.-- ----g RI - AAAx "a -l-..tA -
carried IN for the purpose Of ascsrtsininR
putting into enect tho viii OF the poo
pie. no that the people maj Jointly do for
themselves what no man can do 70 well
for them We hold tina the laws that
govern elections and govern party organ-
nations should not be treated az ruios
which are Mt subjects for tricky manipu-
latfon by contestants for q prize. We
hold that ~ far A. possible tho laws
should be treated a. rules to ASCERTAIN the
will Of those whom the public of1cfalf
and party officials are supposed to repre-
sent. In sum-. therefore. we hold that the
object OF this contest 10 not to secure re-
wards for Individuals. but to secure the
more effective government Of the people
BY the people and for the people.
Our opponents, on The contrary. take
Mr.. McKiniey's view that We are engaged
in q game in which the interests OF the
peupiS, II 10 lIu6, Az ~ alAA0I Jul III
which the people themselves are not hav-
ing their voice. Mr.. McKinleyss position
was stated with frank cynicfsm by Con-
gresham Campbell on behalf OF the re.
dictionary element In the Republican par
ty when In a recent speech In New Hamp-
shire hs Ia quoted as ''rousinE the great
est enthusiasm by declaring that h Re-
publican party does not believe In an ap-
peal from the umpire 10 the bleachers.'
ri CA~~-{A11 <Aa rlr%V1xt &$akaH x1nr1
frankly the view held fas Ii evident by
Mr.. McKinley's statement) generally
among our opponents. Their feeling Il
thai politics Is q game, hat the people
should simply sit on the bleachcrs as
spectators and that no appeal lies to the
people from ths men who for their "
proft are playing the game.
Therefore We demand that states Ike
Illinois, Michisan. Massachusetts and New
York. be given the chance to express
their preference in presidential primaries
as to whoru they wish for president.
Practically the entire hody Of professional
politicians are pitted against us In this
contest. and IN every state and In every
congressional district they are led BY the
of'cehoIders. who. with the example be-
fore them Of what VAS done In connec-
ton with the nominations for local Offices
In North Carolina. are working AZ We
IN N0 r. 2EEtl " - 50 f+F<E ~
political life. Against such forces 1t is In
any event difficult enough for the ordi-
nary plain citizens who have only the
general welfare at heart to win. but II
becomes well nigh impossible for these
plain citizens to give expression to the
popular will when there is no popular
primary Tbs convention systern in our
party was founded on the theory that II
would represent and not thwart the pop
ular will. When. a. is too often now the
case, 1t Is turned into an instrument to be
used for tho direct overthrow OF the pop
uiar will tnen IL does not represent bpt
thoroughly and mischievously mtsrepre-
sents the party and the people.
There never was q straighter fighi
waged for the people OF popular rule thar
that which we are now wagins. We are
hghting against i~ntrenched privilege, hotf
political privilege and financial privilege
we believe that IL given d fair chance thu
people Will declare against both political
and financial privilege. Therefore we de-
mand that they be given that fair chance
IL the people decide against US we vii
how cheerfully TO the decision. confidenl
that f.ss iii In the end see that ths
cause Tor which we fight Ia indeed this
cause OF human rights and human wei
fare, bat we very alphabetically objec'
here In this democracy and within ths
confines OF the party which clairns ADrk
ham Lincoln an Its nationsi founder y
having the issue decided against us no
by the people. but by the spells poHticiani
and patronage monger who arc engage
In dsfrauding the American people out y
their frst and most elemental right, tn
right 10 self Sincerely yours
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
fFF vi