Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1912-03-21
RIGHTS OF THE
PEOPLE UPHELD
Roosevelt Stirs Great Audi
ence in Carnegie Hall in
Campaign Speech.
OPPOSES THE PRESIDENT
Quotes Taft as Opposed TO
the Majority Stands by
Columbus Speech.

New York, March 21.-Speaking for
an hour and half before an audience
that filed Carnegie hall to overflow
| ing, Colonel Roosevelt declared that
President Taft does not believe In pop
ular government and that be favors
oligarchy, the government of the many
by the few, and asserted that repre-
sentative government in this country is
tending to oligarchy and must be al
tered +o 10
A great crowd of people who wanted
to hear him were left outside IN the
streets. Some of these got chance to
hear the colonel after he wound up his
principal address, for another meeting
was arranged In Carnegie lyceum.
Colonel Roosevelt's subject was 'The
Right of the People to Rule" He had
prepared speech. which he held In
his hand and from which he read the
burden of his address. But he did not
hesitate to depart from it frequently.
The audience followed the colonel
with interest throughout his address,
and at times he was wildly applauded.
In the audience were people of the reg
ular Carnegie hall sort, with white
shirt fronts and evening dress, but
there were many others who wore
whatever they happened to have
Mr.. Roosevelt spoke In part as
follows:
The great fundamental issue now be-
fore the Republican party and before
our people can be stated briefly. Ii is,
Are the American people III TO govern
themselves. to rule themselves. to con-
troll themselves? | believe they ara.
My opponents do not | believe In the
right of the people to rule. I believe
that the majority of the plain people of
the United States will. day In and day
out. make fewer mistakes In govern
ing themselves than any smaller class
or body of men. no matter what their
training, will make In trying to govern
tlrem. ] believe. again. that the Amer
lean people are. as a whole. capable OF
self control and of learning by their
mistakes
| Tyranny Of Minorities.
~ y. psasasss Nd snas w.
or tlhe t5sanay oT lie saaJosiEy sVnep-
ever there is tyranny or tie majority
| shall protest against Il with al my
heart and soul. Bur we are today sur
fering from the tyranny of minortties.
1t Is small minority that is grabbing
our coal deposits. our water powers
and our harbor fronts A small minor
ity is fattening on the sale or aduiter-
ated foods and drugs. X is small
minority that lies behind monopolies
and trusts. 1t is small minority that
stands behind the present law of mas
ter and servant, the sweatshops aud
the whole calendar of social and In
ity that Is today using our convention
system TO defeat the will of majority
Of the people In the choice of delegates
to the Chicago convention
If the majority of the American peo-
Pile were In fact tyrannous over the
minority. If democracy had no greater
self control than empire. then indeed
no written words which our forefa-
theirs put into the constitution coule
stay that tyranny.
No sane man who has been familiar
with the government of this country
for the last twenty years will COM
plain that we have had too much of
the rule of the majority The trouble
has been a far different one--that, at
many times and in many localities,
there have held public office in the
st ties and In the nation men who
have in fact served not the whole peo-
pie. but some special class or special
interest. | am not thinking only of
those special interests which by gross
sr methods. by bribery and crime,
have stolen from the people. am
thinking as much of their respectable
allies and fgureheads. who have ruled
and legislated and decided as If In
some way the vested rights of privf-
lege had first mortgage on the whole
United States. while the rights of ali the
people were merely an unsecured debt
Am overstating the case2 Have our
political leaders always or generally
recognized their duty TO the people as
anything more than duty to disperse
the mob. see that the ashes are taken
away and distribute patronagef Have
our leaders always or generally work
ed for the benefit Of human be ngs. to
increase the prosperity of all the peo-
pie. to give to each some opportunity
Of living decently and bringing up his
children well2 The questions need no
answer.
New "cheoks and Balances"
Now there has sprung up a feeling
deep In the hearts of the people. not OF
the bosses and professional politicians,
not of the benefciaries of special priyi-
lege-a pervading belief of thinking
men that when the majority of the pco-
pie do in fact as well as theory rule
then the servants of the people will
come more quickly to answer and obey
not the commands OF the special inter-
ests. but those of the whole people. To
reach toward that end the progressiyes
of the Republican party in certain
states have formulated certain propos-
ais for change In the form of the state
(Eontfnued on mage e.