The Calumet news., 1912-02-21
Should be Fixed Governmental
Policy Towards Big Bus
mess, He Says
ADDRESSES OHIO CONVENTION
Sherman Law Does Harm When
it Hits Honest Combinations
Court OF Final Resort, He Declares,
Should be Vested in People. Be-
IieVes in Presidential Prefer
ference Primaries.

Columbus, o.. Feb 21.-"Big Bust
ness" the fitness of the American peo-
pie for self government. the recall oi
judges, and praise for the progressive
legislation in Wisconsin Instituted by
and furthered by Senator Robert II
LaFollette when he was Governor, were
topics discussed by Theodore Roosevelt
in an address today before the Ohio
Constitutional Convention here. Coz
lionel Roosevelt chose as his subject
"a Charter of Democracy"
OF what he termed big Business. $
Colonel Roosevelt had this to say:
THE antitrust law does good inso-
far as it can be invoked against com .
blnations which really are monopolies
or which restrict production or which
artifcially raise prices But i'm so far
as it's workings are uncertain or as
IL threatens corporations which have
not been guilty of anti-social conduct
il does harm. There should be a fixed
governmental policy which shall clear
~ define and punish. wrong doing and
give in advance full information 10 any
man as to Just what he can and just
what he cannot legally and properly
do"
AS to the fitness Of the American
people for self government Colonel
Roosevelt said:
Many eminent lawyers believe that
the American people are not fitted for
popular government and that IL is nee
essary to keep the judiciary lndopen
dent OF the majority of the people.
! take absolute issue with all those who
hold such position"
OF the recall of judges. he said
The question is one of eXpediency
merely. Each community has the
right to try the experiment for itself in
whatever shape IL pleases do not
believe in adopting the recall save as
a last resort when IL has become clear
ly evident that no ether course will
achieve the desired result"
Senator LaFollette was mentioned
but once, as follows
Following Senator Latollettc a
number of practical workers and
thinkers I'm Wisconsin have turned
that state into an experimental Ia
boratory of wise governmental action
in aid Of social and industrial justice.
They have initiated that kind OF pro-
grcssive government which means not
only the preservation of true demo-
cracy but the extension of the prin-
ciple of true democracy into industrial
ism rs well as into politics"
Give Power to People.
Colonel Roosevelt sail i'm part.
~ hold it To he the duty of every
public servant. and of @, man who
in public or in private life lolds posi-
tion of leadership in thought or ac-
tion, to endeavor honestly and fearless
iy to guide his ellow-countrymen tc
right decisiohs but emphatically dis
sent from the view that 1t is either
wise or necessary to try To devise
methods which under the Constitution
VIII automatically prevent the peo-
pie from deciding for themselves what
S''N' hih'Hldi u'Nbii til'S uNth JNSN
and proper.
II is impossible To invent Consu-
utional devices which will prevent the
popular will from, being effective for
wrong without also preventing 1t from
being effective for right. The only
safe course to follow in this great
American democracy Is to provide for
making the popular judgment really
elective. But IL is false constitu-
tonalism a false statesmanship, to
endeavor by the exercise of a perverted
ingenuity to seem to give the people
full power and at the same time to
trick them out OF IL.
Yet this Is precisely what is done
In every case where the state permits
us representatives. whether on the
bench or in the legislature or in execu-
tive Office. to declare that il has not
the power TO right grave social wrongs.
or that any of the officers created by
the people, and rightfully the servants
OF the people, can set themselves up TO
DC the masters of the people. Consts-
tution- makers should make IL clear
beyond shadow OF doubt that the peo-
pie In their legislative capacity have
Tie power to enact into law any meas
ure they deem necessary for the bet
'erment of social and Industrial condi-
tions
hold that he is the real progres-
slve, that he is the genuine champion
OF the people. who endeavors to shape
the policy alike OF the Nation and of
several States so as to encourage legi-
innate and honest business at the same
time that he wars against all crooked
ness and injustice and unfairness and
tyranny in the business world. This