Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-02-22
If the recall of judges, he said:


believe in adopting the recall save as
" evident that no other course will
achieve the desired result"
Senator LaFollette was mentioned
but once. as follows:
Following Senator LaFollette q
number of practical workers and
thinkers IN Wisconsin have turned that
state into an experimental laboratory
of wise governmental action in aid of
social and industrial justice. They
have initiated that kind of progressive
government which means not only the
preservation of true democracy but
the extension of the principle of true
democracy into industrialism as we'll
as into politics.
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 po-
sition of leadership in thought or ae-
tiop, to endeavor honestly and fear
lessly to guide his fellow-conntrymen
to right decisions; but ] emphatically
dissent from the view that it is either
wise or necessary to try to devise
methods which under the Constitution
will automatically prevent the people
from deciding for themselves what
governmental action they deem just
and proper.
ut is impossible to invent Constitu-
tional 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 American
democracy is to provide for making
the popular judgment really effective.
But it is a false constitutionalism a
false craftsmanship, 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
oe it.
"Yot this is precisely what is done in
every case where the state permits it's
representatives. whether on the bench
or in the Legislature or in executive
office to declare that it 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
be the masters of the people. Const-
Triton makers should make it clear be-
yond shadow of doubt that the people
in their legislative capacity have the
power to enact into law any measure
they deem necessary for the better
ment of social and industrial eondi-
tons.
II hold that he is the real progress
sive. that lac is the genuine champion
of the people. who endeavors TO shape
the policy alike of the nation and of
the several states SO as to encourage
legitimate and honest business at the
same time that he wars against all
crookeduess and injustice and unfair.
ness and tyranny in the business
world This is the reason why | have
for so many years insisted as regards
our National Government, that 1t IS
both futile and misehievous to endeaV-
or to correct the evils of big business
by an attempt to restore business con-
ditions as they were in the middle OF
the last century. before railways and
telegraphs had rendered larger bust
ness organizations both inevitable and
desirable.
The effort TO restore such condi-
tons. and to trust for justice solely to
such proposed restoration, is as foolish
us IL we Slloulu etlitliift ~ 49,
troops with the flintlocks of Washing
toms Contingencies instead of with
modern weapons of precision. Flint
lock legislation, of the kind that seeks
to prohibit all combinations. good or
bad, is bound 10 fail and the effort, III
so far as it aceomplishes anything at
all. merely means that some of the
worst combinations are not checked
and that honest business is checked.
What is needed is. first. the recog-
milton that modern business condition
have come to stay, in so far at least
as these condition mean that business
must be done in larger units, and
then the cool headed and resolute de-
to introduce an effective
method of regulating big corporations
so as to help legitimate business as
an incident to thoroughly and COM
pletely safeguarding the interests OF
the people as a whole.
The middle sized business men
form an element of strength which is
of literally inealculable value to the
nation The average business man of
this type is, as rule, leading citi-
zen of his community, foremost in ev-
erything that tells for it's betterment.
a man whom hfs neighbors look up
to and respect.
Yet nowadays many men of this
kind, when they come to make neces-
sary trade agreements with one an
other, find themselves in danger of
becoming unwilling transgressors of
the law, and are at loss to know
what the law forbids and what it per-
mits. This is all wrong. There should
be a fixed governmental policy, pol
icy which shall clearly define and pun
ish wrong doing, and shall give in adj
vance full information to any man as
to- just what he can and just what he
cannot legally and properly do.
1T is absurd and wicked to treat
the deliberate lawbreaker as on an ex-
act par with the man eager to obey
the law, whose only desire is to find
out from some competent govern
mental authority what the law is and
then live UP to it. 1t is absurd to
endeavor to regulate business in the
interest of the public by means of
long drawn law suits without any ac-
of administrative con-
troll and regulation, and without any