The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-02-21
COLONEL WANTS
PEOPLES POWER.
Roosevelt In Columbus Today Where
He Made An Address But
Makes No Announce
ment.
GREETED WITH CHEERS
Over One Thousand Cheering specta-
| tors We're at the Depot to
Greet the Ex-
President.
GREETED WITH CHEERS

limited Press Leased Wire Service.]
COLUMBUS, Ohio. Feb. 21.-Declar-
ing for the peoples power, SO far as
the Initiative and referendum is con-
cerned, although he wanted it pro-
tected by proper restrictions" Col.
Roosevelt today took the most pro.
gressive stand of his career. He also
told the constitutional convention,
before which he presented his char
ter of democracy" that, although /
originally opposed to the recall, he
now believed 1t also should be within
the power of the people. He qualified
the recall for judges by suggesting
what he said was better plan and
avoided all reference to the tariff and
certain other national issues by saying
| that he stood today exactly where he
stood a year ago on such matters.
''The power to invoke direct action,
both by initiative and by referendum"
said Roosevelt, Should be provided
for the people in such fashion as to
prevent it's being wantonly or too fre-
quently used In the great majority
of cases it is far better that action on
! Legislative matters should be taken
By those specially delegated to per-
form the task. Action by the initiative
and referendum ought not to be the
normal way of legislation: but the
a power to take its debate provided in
4 1.-THE constitution, SO that II the repre-
Il santatives fail to truly represent the
i people on some matter, Of sufficient
. ilp pportance to afo5tse popular interest
then the people will have in their
4 hands the facilities to make good that
failure
This reference came as the climax
i of an eloquent appeal for increased
power for the voter, who, the colonel
; said. should be given unabridged pow
!. er of direct nominations, including
) therein direct preferential primaries
for the election of delegates to the ma
tional nominating conventions. In
this connection some of his hearers
, saw a barbed reference to the present
, situation in his party when Roosevelt
q said: "All good citizens are willing to
= acquiesce in a nomination secured by
= the expression of a majority Of the
q people, but do not like to acquiesce
1 in a nomination secured by adroit
I political management in defeating the
+ wish of the majority of the people
A So far as the recall Is concerned the
K colonel said that there exists no great
n necessity for it "as regards short tern
e elective officers" However, after con
!. sideration, he said, he believes |
J. should be generally provided, but Will
!. such restrictions as will make 1t avail
6 able only when there Is widespread
and genuine public feeling among ;
majority of the voters.
In it's application to judges, Roose
Welt believed there was better rem
edy than the recall and that was civ
:. ing the people as whole the powe
: to decide what they wanted in tn
: way of laws.
Legislators and judges alike ar
n the servants of the people" he sait
land If these two sets of public SCI
lo wants disagree as to the amount c
power delegated to them by the pei
III pie under the constitution, and If th
case Is Of sufficient Importance, the
n as matter of course, it should b
the right of the people themselves
III decide between them
,h
in Get Warm Welcome
COLUMBUS. Ohio, Feb 21-Gree
ts ed by band and over 1000 cheerin
nd spectators, Col Theodore Rooseye
es arrived in Columbus for few hour
visit at 10 a. m. today, The fe
he plain clothes men detailed to guar
er the former president proved entire1
IN, inadequate and t. r. literally had
to force his way through the throng. A
er companied by DR.. Washington Gla
tn den, he was taken at once to the la
tn ter's home, where he remained unit
time for his address,
air Four inches Of snow under fo
nd and a drizzling rain caused Rooseve
he hackers in Columbus to shudder
en- the prospects of spontaneous del
onstration' which the ex-president
managers state had been planned f
the strenuous one. But in spite of Il
1v weather, hundreds flocked to the ST
tion to get a glimpse of the visitc
20 and the state house lobby was thron
est ed with spectators long before t
time of his appearance there.
er. Read The Daily Gate CITY