The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1912-03-29
ROOSEVELT HITS
TAFT SOPH|STR|ES
Arguments of the President
Torn to Tatters. \
TO RULE is PEOPLES RIGHT
Colonel Declares He Confidence IN
Plain peopIe-shouid Have Power
20 Redress Own Wrongs
Shown Up Ineonslstencies
of His Opponents

opVWB Up thCohStStcnCtco
ot He Opponents.
New York, March 21.-Former Pres
ident Roosevelt delivered an address
last night IN Carnegie hall before an
enthusiastic and demonstrative audi
ence. He refuted with characteristic
vigor and logic the arguments made
against his Columbus speech by Pres
ident Taft and others. He said:
The great fundamental issue Is now
before the Republican party and be-
fore our people can be stated briefly.
1t is. Arc the American people fit to
govern themselves, to, rule them
selves, TO control themselves? / be-
lieve they are. My opponents do not.
] believe in the right Of the people to
rule. believe that the majority OF
the plain peo7s~ { the United States
will, day In w out, make fewer
mistakes Il : -srning themselves
than any small.. class or body OF
men, no matter what their training.
will make In trying to govern them.
] believe again that the American
people are as whole capable of self
control and OF learning by their mis-
takes. Our opponents pay lip loyalty
to this doctrine. but they show their
real beliefs by the way In which they
champion axery device to make the
nominal rule OF the people ashamed.
have scant patience with this talk
Of the tyranny Of tho majority. When
ever thssO In the tyranny OF the ma
jority. sAAll Deutsst against Il with
today saHsring from the tyranny of
the minofttiss. Il IL . small minority
that II grabbing our coal deposits.
our waAse powers and our harbor
Fronts. A small minority Is fattening
on the sale Of adulterated foods and
drugs. II II . small minority that lies
behind monopolies and trusts. II Is
q small minority that stands behind
the present law Of master and ser
want the sweatshops and the whole
Of serial and industrial in-
Justice. II 10 Q small minority that ID
today using our convention system to
nt tho will OF tho majority Of the poo
pie In the choice OF delegates to the
convention
10 the Peoples Right.
my opponents charge that two
things In my program are wrong be-
cause they intrude into the sanctuary
Of the judiciary. The first is the re-
call OF judges and the second the re-
view by the people Of judicial deci-
sions on certain constitutional ques-
tions. I have said again and again
that do not advocate the recall OF
Judges I'm all states and In all commu-
mites. The integrity OF our judges.
from Marshall TO White and Holmes
and to Cullen and many others In
our own state-is fne page of Amer
ican history. But say It soberly-
democracy has . right TO approach
the sanctuary OF the courts when
special interest has corruptly found
sanctuy-- there, and this is exactly
what happened In some Of the
stas tho recall OF judges Is q
liviI >. u II not equally plain
tha question whether q given
500 ncy 10 for the public good
Is Of judicial nature. but should
be settled by the legislature. or In
the nnal instance by tho people
'-rhe president OF the United States.
Mr.. Taft, devoted most OF recent
speech to criticism of this PROPOSE
tion- He says that II Is utterly with
out merit or utility. and instead Of
bclng In the interest OF all the people
and Of IL stability OF popular gov
srAment. 10 sowing the seeds OF con-
fusion and tyranny (By this he. of
course. means the tyranny OF the ma
jority. that II. the tyranny OF the
American people a. a whole.) He
also says that my proposal (which. as
be rightly sees. is merely a proposal
10 give the people n real instead OF
only 4 nominal chance TO construe
and amend state constitution with
reasonable rapidity) would mako such
amendment and Interpretation de-
pend on the feverish uncertain and
determination u successive
votes on different laws by temporary
and changing majorities.' and that II
lays tho ax at tho foot OF the tree OF
well ordered freedom and subjects
the guarantees OF life. liberty and
property without remedy Co the fltful
Impulse Of temporary majority OF an
ssectorato'
10 Wholly Unfounded.
This criticism 10 really less q sriti-
cssm Of my proposal than criticism
ef al popular government II ia
wholly unfounded. unless Il 10 found
ID on the belief that the people are