The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-28

everybody this salient feature of his
address I'VE beg leave to remark that
it is the most astonishing and in view
of healthy intelligence the craziest
proposal that ever emanated either
from himself or from any other states
man since the organization of our
government by law.
People who regard this merely as
a f1ippant and impulsive utterance of
a candidate for public Office who is
trying to attract public favor are max
ing great mistake. In my judgment
the eX-preSident has been rejecting
over this proposition for years
He has always ben hostile to the
decision of the courts whenever they
conf1icted with his own views and ne
has over and over again given eX-
preston to his opposition to them
when Mr. Roosevelt was president
he was not allowed to influence and
control the decision of the courts, ana
they declined to pass under the dom
nation of his arbitrary and imperious
will. OF course judges are only hui
man; they have made mistakes, but
one thing they have done to their
eternal credit, and that is that they
have stood as q barrier betWeea MIN
and dictatorial usurpation.
Chafed at Courts Actions.
During the whole of his admins
tratiOn he had an idea lingering in
his mind that it was the duty of the
courts to carry out the policy of the
executive DfdnCn OF the government
and this belief was connected with an
other idea and that was that, so far
as executive functions were concerned
he was absolutely supreme unlimited
by the specifications of the instru-
ment that created them. Now what
is the present situation Mr.. Roose-
Welt is a candidate for president. There
was no need of any persuasion what
ever to induce him to enter the field.
There was no dragging of Cincinnatus
from the pillow.
II do not know what sort of a new
party he will have if he is nominated
and elected We have quite a moer
of parties on hand now There are
Republicans and Democrats and Insur-
gents and Progressives and Radicals
and ReactiOnaries and Neuroties and
Paranoiacs. and another party will
only add to the gayety and festivities
of the entertainm ent.
Il had hoped that outbreaks like this
were over when Mr.. Roosevelt abdicated
upon his restful and harmless expedition
TO the jungles of Africa do not know
what we will do without friend Would
it be possible if he consents TO tender
him to the new republic of China, in the
event of his defeat-and 1 am satisfied
that even if nominated he will be easily
= believe that there are large number
Of Mr. Roosevelt's followers in this coun-
try would today favor VestlnS IN MN
autocratic power. our institutions under
went a radical change under his admins
tration. He inaugurated new era or
thought
He is possessed with a mad fancy and
this is and ought to be an executive gov
eminent that the powers OF the executive
ought 70 over ride those of the legislative
and judicial branches of the public ser
vice. BY all the patronage and all the
power than he can command he Would
force upon the country an IN
of our organic law that vii
level it's distinctions and oblterate Us
checks and balances He VIII then ~ ,i+i ille
pursuit of his own Unsuitable ambition
possess a degree of autocratic power that |
no president has ever attained or WouIu
na1e ever dared to exercise except at
the risk of impeachment.
IF we are to pass in again unoer ms
yoke with his outstretched arm unoer Ills
Of Justice the refuge and bulwark OF our
Institutions ready to strike it down, then
t would have been better II the coil9'i'u-
lion had never been framed