Pioneer press. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1882-19??, 1912-03-23
LET PEOPLE RULE,
SAYS ROOSEVELT
Continued from fi-st rpsce.

Continued from first cpsCe,
review r1lie Of decision by popular
, vote. amending or constituting to that
extent the constitution, would certainly
take ut least two years from the time
Of the election Of the legislature which
passed the act. Now, only four months
elapse between the nomination and the
election OF man as president. to fill
Tor four years the most important Of
, hce In the land. In one OF Mr. Tafts
speeches he speaks Of t'the voice OF
the people az coming next to the voice
Of God" Apparently. then. the decision
OF the people about the presidency. aft
er four months deliberation. is to BIZ
treated as next to the voice Of God"
but II after two years Of sober thought
they decide that women and children
shall be protected In industry. or men
| protected from excessive hours Of labor
under unhygienic' conditions. or wage
workers compensated when they lose
I life or limb In the service Of others,
then their decision forthwith becomes
"whim" and "feverish" and "unsta-
bio" and IN exercise Of 1.-THE grossest
tyranny and the laying Of the az to
the foot Of the tree Of freedom" That
Is the old, old doctrine which has been
acted upon for thousands Of years
abroad and which here In America has
been acted upon sometimes openly.
sometimes secretly, for forty years by
many men in public and In private
life. and am sorry to say by many
Judges: doctrine which has in fact
tended to create bulwark for privi-
lege. bulwark unjustly protecting
special interests against the rights Of
the people as whole. This doctrine
Is to me dreadful doctrine. for its ef-
feet Is. and can only be- to make the
courts the shield Of privilege against
popular rights. Naturally. every up
holder and beneficiary of crooked priv
ilege loudly applauds the doctrine. 1t
IS behind the shield Of that doctrine
that crooked clauses creep into laws.
that men Of wealth control legislation.
| aust Judges Safe"
! Remember I am not discussing the
recall OF dges-although I wish it
distinctly understood that the recall is
mere. piece Of machinery to take the
place Of the unavoidable impeachment
which MI Taft In effect defends and
that If the days Of Maynard ever came
nack again in the state Of New York
should favor It l have no wish to
come to 1t, but our opponents when
they object to all efforts to secure real
justice from the courts are strengthen
Ing the hands Of those who demand
the recall. In great many states
there has been for many years real
recall OF Judges as regards appoint
ments, promotions, reappointments and
reflections, and this recall was
| through the turn Of thumbscrew at
the end Of long distance rod In the
| hands OF great I'M erests. l believe that
a just Judge would feel far safer IN the
hands Of the people than In the hands
of those interests.
| My remedy IS not the result Of q H.
brnry study Of constitutional law, but
OF actual and long continued exporl-
ence IN the use Of governmental power
to redress social and industrial evils
Again and again earnest workers fol
social justice have said to me that the
/ most serious obstacles that they have
encountered during the many years
that they have been trying to save
American women and children from
destruction in American industry have
been the courts. That is the judgment
| OF almost all the social workers l know
ana of dozens Of parish priests md
clergymen and Of every executive and
legislator who has been seriously at
tempting to use government as ri
agency for social and industrial better
ment. What is the result of this sys
TEN OF Judicial publication? 1t was