The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-03-24
Especial to The Times. Dlspatch.l

Portland. Me-, March IA direct
personal attack was made by former
President Roosevelt here tonight on
President Taft for having. so Roose-
welt said. advocated putting the dol
dar above the man." While giving
his successor credit for good inten-
TONS" Roosevelt insisted that "we
erly represent u.s." and. in addition TO
criticizinG the chief executive, he paid
his respect to Taft's chief supporters,
Senators Penrose and Gallinger, Con-
gresham Mckinley. former Congress-
man Tawney and William Barnes, Jr.
y large audience greeted the Colonel
The President of the United States"
said Roosevelt "in number OF recent
speeches, ably and correctly stated
the issue between him and u.s. We
stand for the right of the people to
rule, and We stand for this as a real
and living fact. and not as q Juggling
formula ingeniously devised SO as not
TO find expression in fact.
Sticks to Lincoln.
In a recent speech the President
paraphrased Lincoln's great statement
that this is a government of the peo.
proposing as substitute that we should
hereafter act on the theory that this
is government OF the people. for tie
people. by a representative part Cor
ciass) OF the people. 1t is dangerous
work for any man to try to improve
on Lincoln's doctrines OF popular SOW
ereignty and popular right.
'Of course. everybody. whether a
believer IN despotism or in demo-
~ L.
eminent OF the people. In the next
place, even the ruling classes in a de-
spotism always publicly state that
their government is for the people
The point OF difference between the
believers in genuina democracy and
those who secretly disbelieve comes in
connection with Lincoln's third propo-
sition that the government should be
by the people.
'Thoss who believe In government or
rule by part of tho people. by priv
!leged class or caste. over the rest OF
the people. have always insisted under
every form of minority governm ant.
from arstocrncy to plutocracy. that
they were really representing the peo-
PIE. but that they knew how 20 repre-
sent the people and how 10 gov ern
them Il great deal better than the peo-
pie themselves.
IL ~ on tHlS point tnat we follow
Abraham Lincoln and take direct issue
with tho President. In actual practice
the Presidents theory of government
of the people. not BY tho people, but
by representative part OF the people,
means simply government of the people
by the bosses, by the men who repre-
sent the combination of politics and big
business. a combination of political and
financial privil sgc. This is what gov
ernment of Americans by a representa-
tive part or class OF Americans in ac-
tual practice means.
Represent Privilege.
Thanks to the very bosses IN cues
ton. thanks to the representatives Of
political and financial privilege. who
have controlled so many legislative
and executive offices. and even, I am
sorry TO say. u proportion of Iud cal
Offices. We have in actual experience had
this kind OF government which tho
President upholds in many parts or
our country. and 1t has not been sat
isfactory experiment In actual prac-
tice. such n so-called representative
part of the people represent, and Will
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