The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1912-02-21
THE INITIATIVE
AND REFERENDUM
Their Incorporation in Ohios
Constitution Urged By
Roosevelt.
THE RECALL OF JUDGES
Former President Says People Should
Have Right to Remove Bad
Judge from Bench-Di-
rect Elections Favored.
Associated Press Special.

Business, the fitness of the Amor
can people for self-government, II
recall of judges, and praise for tn
progressive legislation in Wisconsi
instituted and furthered by Senate
: Robert LaFollette when he was go'
: ernor, were topics discussed b
Theodore Roosevelt in an addres
today before the Ohio Constitr
tional Convention here. Colone
. Roosevelt chose as his subject, g.
Charter of Democracy"
OF what he termed big Bus
ness" Colonel Roosevelt had this t
say: a
THE antitrust law does good in
sofar as it can be invoked agains
combinations which really are mo
nopolies or which restrict produc
/ ton or which artificially raise
prices. But in so far as it's workings
are uncertain or as it threatens cor
porations which have not been gull
ty of anti-social conduct it does
harm. There should be a fixed
governmental policy which shall de-
fine and punish wrong-doing and
give in advance full information to
any man as to just what he can 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 1t is necessary to keep the ju-
dietary independent of the majority
of the people. take absolute is
sue with all those who hold such
a position"
! OF the recall of judges, he said
THE question is one of expedi.
ency merely. Each community has
the right TO try the experiment for
jitself In whatever shape it pleases.
/ do not believe in adopting the re-
call save as a last resort when it
has become clearly evident that no
other course will achieve the de-
sired result"
! Colonel Roosevelt said in part:
! II hold it to be the duty of every
public servant, and of every man who
in public or in private life holds a
position of leadership in thought or
action. to endeavor honestly and
fearlessly to guide his fcllow-coun-
trymen to right decisions: but en-
phatically dissent from the view that
it is either wise or necessary to try
to devise methods which under the
Constitution will automatically pre-
vent the people from deciding for
themselves what governmental ac-
, tion they deem just and proper.
1T is impossible to invent Con-
stitutional devices which will pre-
vent the popular will from being eff
1 fective for wrong without also pre-
venting it from being effective FOL
right. The only safe course to fol
/ low in this great American democ
racy is to provide for making thu
popular judgment really effective
But it is false eonstitutionalism,
false craftsmanship, to cndeavor b
the exercises of a perverted inge
nuity to seem to give the peopl
| full power and Mt the same time t
trick them out of it.
'Yet this is precisely what is don
in every case where the state pei
mits it's representatives, whether o
the bench or in the legislature or /
executive office, to declare that
has not the power to right grave sc
cial wrongs. or that any of the OF
ficers created by the people, an
rfghtfullly the servants of the pee
lie. can set themselves up to be tn
masters of the people. Constitution
makers should make 1t clear beyon
shadow of doubt that the people l
their legislative capacity have tn
power to enact into law any meas
ure they deem necessary for the be-
terment of social and industrial cor
ditions.
Il hold that he is the real Pre-
gresslve, that he is the genuin
champion of the people. VINO Ell
beavers to shape the policy allk
of the nation and of the sewers
states so as to encourage legitimat
and honest business at the sam
time that he wars against all crooi
edness and injustice and unfairnes
and tyranny in the business worl'
This is the reason why / have "a
so many years insisted as regard
, our National Government, that It
roth futile and mischieyous to en-
deavor to correct the evils OF bl
business by any attempt TO restor
business conditions as they were /
, the middle of the last century. be
: fore railways and telegraphs ha
rendered larger business organiza