The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-21
ROosEVELT ar CoLUNLBUs.


Colonel Roosevelt's speech at Co
lumbus, O.. today shows that he is
not the radical that many who have
supported LaFollette thought that the
ex-president might become, although
he naturally praises much of the work
| that LaFollette has done in wisconsin
It must be rem EN- bered many of
the matters touched upon by Colonel
Roosevelt in this speech have been
previously discussed by him in editori-
ais in the Outlook and in the speeches
he has made during the last two years,
and long before any one, with the pos
sible exception of Governor Stubs Of
Kansas. had any idea that an effort
would be made TO drag him into the
presidential arena. And SO it might
just as well be argued that President
Taft's New York speech was a dis
tinct answer to the attitude that Col
onel Roosevelt had already assumed
in various articles written and speeches
made by him.
A glance at the speech would seem to
indicate that Colonel Roosevelt had
come out hatfooted for the initiative,
the referendum and the recall, the tri-
umphant tripIets CT LaFolletteism. But
Colonel Roosevelt, with natural shrewd-
ness, ties some good strong strings
around his ettitude on these questions,
and he may be looked upon with
great disappointment among the sup
porters of the recall, especially the re
call of judges. AS for the recall OF
short-term elective officers, he doesi- r
believe there is any great necessity for
it, He believes that the application of
the recall in any shape is one of ex
pediency merely. Each community has
a right to try the experiment for it
self in wha shape II pleases- Anu
in the matter of the recall of judges he
does not believe in applying it except
as a last resort. He points out that
a Judge must not do anything wrong
because there is a popular clamor for
it. And that touches the soft spot
of the recall. Who would determine
whether the popular clamor for the
recall Of a judge was right or wrong ?
But while the colonel is not very
strong for the recall of judges and
thinks the recall of short term cleo
tive officers is unnecessary, he reiter-
ates his views expressed some time
ago that the people should have the
power to recall the decisions of judges
when they may be against popular
will and when they touch on funda-
mental questions of government. He
cites the decision of the court of ap-
peaIs of New York state declaring a
workingman's compensation law IN
constitutional as an example. He
considers that decision most fragrant
in its defiance of right and justice.
Even for such a fragrant decision as
this one, he would not vote for the re-
call of the judges who made it. But
he would vote to have the decision /
recalled, and thinks that the people /;
should have this power
Colonel Roosevelt also makes it plain |
that he believes the initiative and the /
referendum should be used, not as sub /
stitutes for representative government, /
but as methods of making such govern
ment really representative. Action by !
the Initiative and referendum, he points |
out. ought not to be the normal way of |
legislation. In practice, though, this |
seems to be the way the initiative !
works out for in Oregon at one election
the people took the initiative on no less /
than thirty odd laws.
AS a matter of fact. there is nothing /
much in Colonel Roosevelt's Columbus /
speech over which the sans culottes of 4
the Republican party can wax enthusi-
astic. They will, though. They will
twist it and turn it in an endeavor
to show that the colonel has assumed /
their leadership. But, as stated. there
is sareely anything in the speech which
Mr.. Roosevelt has not advocated be
FORE nor anything in it to show tina
he has changed his sane ideas on the
fundamentals for a representative gov
eminent of the people, for the people
and by the people.