The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-02-21

- Justify . great and terrible miscar-
SiaSe Of Justice"
Colonel Roosevelt quoted Abraham
Lincoln many times during the course
Of his address and said that the real
upholder and preserver of the Consti-
tuition, the Progressive Of the Lincoln
stamp. Is the only true constitutional
list, the only real conservative"
In one statement, he commented
Senator La Toilette. Following sSena-
tor La Follette," he said, "a number of
practical workers and thinkers in Wis.
consin have initiated in that state the
kind Of progressive government which
means not merely the preservation OF
true democracy. but the extension OF
the principle OF true democracy into
industrialism as we'll as into politics"
Summarizing his admonitions to the
Constitutional convention. Colonel
Roosevelt said: Frame a constitu-
ton under and in accordance with
which the peaople are to get and to do
justice and absolutely to rule them
selves"
was entitled "A Charter OF Demo
cracy," in part. follows:
Roossveit's Address.
hold 1t to be the duty of every pub
lie servant, and of every man who in
public or in private life holds a posi-
ton of leadership in thought or action,
to <ndeavor honestly and fearlessly to
guide his fellow.countrymen to right
decisions; but ! emphatically dissent
from the view that 1t is either wise or
necessary to try to devise methods
which under the Constitution will au-
Dramatically prevent the people from
deciding for themselves what govern
mental action they deem just and pro-
rer. It II impossible to invent Consti-
tutional devices which will prevent the
popular will from being effective for
wrong without also preventing It from
being effective for right The only safe
course to follow In this great Ameri-
can democracy 10 to provide for max
ing the popular judgment really effec-
tive. When this 10 done. then 1t Is our
duty to see that the people. having the
full power. realize their heavy respon-
sihility for exercising that power
Alright. But It IL a false constitutional
ism. a false statesmanship, to endeav-
or by the exercise OF perverted in
Eenuity to seem to give the people full
power and at the same time to trick
them out OF It. Yet this Ia precisely
what IL done In every case where the
State permits its representatives.
hAt hn in, h0 I
is'ature or in executive Office, to de-
clare that /. has not the power to right
grave social wrongs, or that any Of the
officers created by tho people. and
Y!ghtfully the servants Of the people,
can set themselves up to be the mas
tiers Of the people. Constitution-mak-
ers should make it clear beyond shad-
ow of doubt that the people in their
legislative capacity have the power to
necessary for the betterment of social
and industrial conditions. The wisdom
~ framing any particular law of this
kind 10 q proper subject of debate; but
the power Of the people to enact the
law should not be subject to debate.
TO hold the contrary. view is to be
false to the cause Of the people. to the
cause Of American democracy.
A. to Corporations.
All business into which the element
Of monopoly in any way or degree en-
tiers, and where it proves in practice
impossible totally to eliminate this ell
ement Of monopoly. should be careful
ly supervised. regulated. and CONTROL.
ed by governmental authority and
such control should be exercised by
administrative. rather than by judicial.
CfY'cers. No effort should be made to
destroy a big corporation merely be-
cause 1t 10 big. merely because 1t has
shown itself a peculiarly lcient bus
iness instrument But we should not
fear. II necessary. to bring the regula-
ton Of big corporations to the point of