The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-02-21
ALL POWER LIES
With THE PEOPLE.
Constitutions Written Bv
Them and They Should
Retain Prerogatives

columbus. O., Feb. 21.-"Big busi.
ness, the fitness Of the Americar
people for elf-government, the recall
OF Judges, and praise for the progress.
slve legislation in Wisconsin instituted
and furthered by Senator Robert NJ.
hafollette when he was governor,
were topics discussed by Theodore
Roosevelt III an address today before
ihe ONO constitutional convention
mere. Colonel Roosevelt chose as his
subject, "A Charter of Democracy"
or what he termed big Business"
Colonel Roosevelt had this to say:
Ihe antitrust law does good inso.
Tar as 1t can ne invoked against COM
nlhatlons which really are monopolies
aruhclally raise prices. But I'm 80 far
as It's workings are uncertain or as It
threatens corporations which have not
neen guilty of anti-social conduct it
does harm. There should be a fixed
governmental policy which shall clear.
ly dehne and punish wrong.doing and
give in advance full information to
any man as to just what he can and
Just what he cannot legally and prop.
erly 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 it 10
ne sssary to keep the judiciary in
dependent of the majority Of the peo-
pic take absolute issue with all
those who hold such a position"
OF the recall of judges. he said:
The question is one of expediency
merely. Each community has the
right to try the experiment for itself
IN whatever shape it pleases. dc not
believe in adopting the recall save as
last resort when 1t has become clear
ly evident that no other course will
achieve the desired result"
Senator LaFollette was mentioned
but once, as follows:
FOLLOWING Senator LaFollette a
number of practical workers and
thinkers in Wisconsin have turned
mat state into an experimental labora-
tory OF wise governmental action in
aid of social and Industrial Justice,
They have initiated that kind Of pro-
only the preservation of true democ-
racN but the extension of the princi-
pie of true democracy into Industrial
ism as well as into politics"
Colonel Roosevelt said in part:
Il 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 ac-
ton, TO endeavor honestly and fear
lessly to guide his fellow-countrymen
to right decisions; but i 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
n ,f.Il
and proper.
The Safe Course.
ut is Impossible to invent constitu-
tional devices which will prevent the
popular will from being effective for
wrong without also preventing it from
heing 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 false constitu-
tionalism. false statesma nship. TO
endeavor by the exercise of a pervert-
ed ingenuity to seem to give the peo-
pie full power and at the same time
to trick them out of 1t.
Yet this is precisely what is done
in every case where the state permits
its representatives,. whether on the
bench or in the legislature or in exc
cutive ce. to declare that it has not
the power to right grave social
wrongs, or that any of the officers
created by the people. and rightfuliy
the servants of the people. can set
themselves up to be the masters of the
people. Constitutions ma kers should
make il clear beyond shadow of doubt
that the people in their Legislative ca
pacity have the power to enact into
law any measure they deem necessary
for the l,etterment of social and in
duStrial conditions.
Il hold that he Is the real progress
sive, that he 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
crookedness and injustice and unfair
ness and tyranny in the business
world. This is the reason why l have
for so many years insisted as regards
our national government. that it is
both futile and mschievous to en-
deavor to correct the evils of big busi-
ness by an attempt to restore business
conditions as they We're in the middle
of the last century. before railways
and telegraphs had rendered larger
business organizations both inevitable
and desirable.
The effort to restore such condi.
tions. and to trust for justice solely to
such proposed restoration. is as fool
ish as ii we should attempt to arm our
troops with the fintlocks of Washing
tons rontinentals instead Of with
modern weapons of precision. Flint
lock legisla tion. of the kind that seeks
to prohibit all combinations. good or
bad, is bound to fail. and the effort,
in so far as it accompliShes 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 bushes conditions
have come to stay. in SO far at least as
these conditions mean that business
must be done in larger units. and
then the cool-headed and resolute de-
termination to introduce an effective
method Of regulating big corporations
so as to help legitimate business az
an incident to thoroughly and COM
pletely safeguarding the interests Of
the people as a whole.
Lawful Combinations.
''The middle-sized business men
form an element Of strength which ID