The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-28
Severely Handles Colonel About His Boston
 Speech
DEVELOPMENTS OF
 DAY IN WASHINGTON
William Barnes, Jr., Accuses Roose- welt of Violating Principles of Re publicanism by His Views
 Advanced at Columbus

Washington, February 2L-ReVersal of judicial decisions by popular vote. as pro- posed by Theodore Roosevelt in his Co., lumbus address last week vas denounced in the Senate today by Mir Rayner of Maryland as the most dangerous doc Urine ever brought forward by any one who has the slightest regard for the sta bility of our institutions and whose opin- ion is entitled to any weight or respect.
 Senator Rayner declared that in dis cussing Roosevelt he did not speak as partisan because he believed the repnb- lioans could nominate no man who would be easier to defeat
 Quotes Columbus Speech What desire to call attention 10 ia an unique and original conception which Roosevelt advanced at Columbus and which l quote literally as follows: |" The decision of state court on constitutional question should be subject to revision by the people of the state. "'If any considerable number of Inc people feel that the decision is in defiance of justice. they should he given the rgit by petition to bring before the voters at some subsequent election and after the fullest opportunity for deiberatlon and debate the question whether not the judges interpretation of the constitution is to be sustained If it is sns aimed, well and good. If not, then the popular yera diet is 10 he accepted as final. tho de- ciSion Is to be treated as reversed and tho construction of the constitution definitely decided, subject only to action by the supreme court of the United States.
 MT. President. if a proposition of this sort had been advanced by an ordinary agitator, or hy an anarchist. no attention would be paid to il, the people would nn- dcrstand that il was utterly meaningless and t would involve no actual danger to the republic But we must realize how ever, that this is the t,ttcranee ei t pv- ntical leader who occupies as4pron,ss.ytF az place before stlic pubic as ny one iY the country, who Is gifted with trcncr1 dous power, who commanded great popul larity and who for seven years occupied the position of President of the United States, and who is now candidate agan for the office.
 Always Hostile to Courts
 People who regard this merely as d hippant and impulsive utteranee of Il can- didate for public office. who is bidding for public favor, are making q great mis- take. The ex-President has been renect- ing over this proposition for years. He has always been hostile to the decisions of the courts whenever they eonfieted with his own views.
 Now there is d motive for all this. and there is Il cause for this attack upon the institutions of the land l think
 can tell you what it is II arises from the fact that when MT. Roosevelt was president, he WIS not allowed to influ- ence and control the decisions of the courts and they declined to pass under the domination of his arbitrary and im- perous will.
 During the whole of his administration he had an idea lingering in his mind that 1t was the duty of the courts to carry out the policy of the executive branch of the government, and this be- lief was connected with another idea. and that idea was that so far as execu- tive functions were concerned, he WAS absolutely supreme. unlimited by the specifications Of the instrument that created them.
 He Is a Problem
 "I had hoped th@t outbreaks like this was over when MI ltOoStNflt dDutditu his place few years ago. Here he Is, however, and he has come to stay 1 do not know what we will do with our friend. Would it be possible If he con- sents. to tender him to the new republic of China, in the event of his defeat And
 am satisfied that even if nominated he would be easily defeated. I would he almost ready 10 make a new treaty for Chinese immigration if they would ac- cept him in some sort of exchange. You know what l believe. MT. President. I believe that there are large number of Mir RooseVelt's followers in this coun- try who would now favor vesting in him autocratic powers.
 "Our institutions underwent a radical change under his administration. He in- augurated a new era of constitutional thought He announced over and over again in defiance of the unbroken decis- ions of the courts that under the general welfare clause of the constitution Con gress had the power to enact any legis- Jation that tended to the general welfare of the nation.
 Possesses Mad Fancy
 "I am not exaggerating the situation. He is perfectly sincere, and his motive is not a, corrupt one, and he will do this because he is possessed with a mad fancy that this is and ought to be an executive government; that the powers Of the executive ought to override those of the legislative and judicial branches of the public service
 He will then, fin the pursuit of his own unsuitable ambition. possess de- gree of autocratic power that no Presi- dent of these United States has ever at- tained or would have over dared to exer- else, except at the risk of impeachment"
 Barnes Raps Roosevelt
 Unannounced in republican political circles and his arrival apparently unex- pected except at the White House. where he dined with President Taft and Sec retary Hilles. William Barns. Jr., chair man of the New York state republican committee. came to Washington tonight His appearance gave rise to all sorts of rumors. but the one which was given greatest credence was that he would take direct management of President Taft's candidacy in New York state.
 Before going to the White House. Mir. Barnes gave to the Associated Press