New-York tribune., 1912-02-22


dent Roosevelt addressed the OHIO Con-
stitutional Convention here to-day tax
ing for his subject "A Charter OF De-
mocracy." His address follows;
Mr. President and Members of the ONO
Constitutional Convention: ,,,. ,,,,,
am profoundly sensible OF tne addpess llpla0, You
You are engaged in the tundamontal Noi a.,
of self-goVernment; you are Susaseu a.
framing a constitution under ana III aCcoiu
ance with which the people are 10 get ana
IA do Justice and absolutely 10 rule tnem-
selves No representative body can nave
higher task To carry 1t through success
fully there is need TO com conoimG hard pr5Sdd 5esded
kind with a spirit of lofty ldeaEsIh. NlSSH51
cut idealism your work Will besDut s%orulG %
makeshift, and without the hard hea9eu hea.
wasted worse than wasted. -
shall not try 10 speak to you OF ma'teIs
Of detail Each of our commonwealths mas
its own local needs. local customs ana
habits Of thought, different from tnoSe Oh
other commemorative, and each must mere
fore apply in its own fashion the great
priciples of our political life. But these
principles themselves are in their essence
applicable everywhere, and OF some OF them
] shall speak TO you. ] cannot touch upon
them ali: the subject is too vast and the
time too limited, IL any one Of you cares
10 know my views Of these matters which
7 do not to-day discuss, / Will gladly send
him a copy of the speeches ! made In l9lO,
which think cover most of the ground
Believes in Pure Democracy.
Lincoln, | hold that this country, with
its institutions, belongs to the people VINO
inhabit it.. Whenever they shall grew
weary of the existing government they
amending it," We Progressives believe
that the people have the right, the power
and the duty TO protect themselves ana
their own welfare; that human rights are
should be the servant, not the master, OF
the people We believe that unless repre-
sentative government does absolutely rep
resent the people it is not representative
government at all. We test the worth OF
all men and all measures by asking how
they contribute TO the welfare Of the men,
women and children of whom this nation
is composed. We are engaged in one OF
the great battles of the age-long contest
waged against privilege on behalf of the
common welfare. We hold II prime DUTY
OF the people 10 free our government from
the control of money in politics. For this
purpose we advocate not as ends in them
selves. but as weapons in the hands OF
the people, all governmental devices which
will make the representatives Of the people
more easily and certainly responsible to
This country. as Lincoln said, belongs to
the people. SO do the natural resources
which make II rich, They supply the basis
OF our prosperity now anu hereafter III
preserving them which is a national duty,
we must not forget that monopoly is based
on the control of natural resources ana
natural advantages, and that it will help
the people little to conserve our natural
wealth unless the benefits which II can
WELD are secured to the people Let us
remember, also, that conservation does not
stop with the natural resources, but that
the principle Of making the best use Of all
we have requires with equal or greater in
sistence that we shall stop the waste OF
human life in industry and prevent the
waste Of human welfare which flows from
the unfair use of concentrated power and
wealth in the hands of men whose eager
ness for profit blinds them to the cost of
what they do. We have no higher duty
than 10 promote the efficiency of the indi-
vidual There is no surer road to the effi-
cheney of the nation.
The Duty of Public Mon.
| hold il to be the duty OF every public
servant and of every man who in public or
IN private life holds a position of leader
ship in thought or action. 10 endeavor hon
estly and fearlessly to ,s,i guide his. his fellow
phatically dissent from the view that ii is
either wise or necessary to try 10 devise
methods which under the Constitution will
automatically prevent the people from de-
Gliding for themselves what governmental
action they deem just and proper 1t is
impossible 10 invent constitutional devices
which will prevent the popular will from be-
venting IL from being effective for right.
The only safe course TO follow In this great
American democracy is TO provide for MAX
ing the popular judgment really effective.
When this is done, then IL Is our duty 10
see that the people, having the full power,
realize their heavy responsibility for exer-
cisng that power Alright But il Is a false
ccnstitutionalism, false craftsmanship. TO
endeavor by the exercise Of a perverted in
genuity to seem 10 give the people full
rcwer and at the same time TO trick them
Offf nTcgiEQiN
done In every case where the state permits
its repre- sentatives, whether on the bench
or IN the Legislature or IN executive once,
To declare that II has not the power 10
right grave social wrongs, or that any OF
THE officers created by the people, and right
fully the servants Of the people, can set
themselves up 10 be the masters of the
PEOPLE Constitution makers should make 1t
clear beyond shadow Of doubt that the peo-
pie LIN their legislative capacity have the
power to enact into law any measure they
cial and industrial conditions. The wisdom
Of framing any particular law of this kind
Is a proper subject of debate; but the
power Of the people to enact the law should
not he subject 10 debate. To hold the con-
trary view is 10 be-false TO the cause Of the
people 10 the cause OF American democ-
racy.
Lincoln Saw Way Out.
Lincoln. with his clear vision, his in-
grained sense of justice ana his spirit Oh
kindly friendiness to all. forecast our pres
ent struggle and saw the way out What
ne said should be pondered by capitalist
and working man alike. He spoke as fol-
lows Il condense):
Il hold that while man exists II is his
duty TO improve not only his condition
hut to assist in ameliorating mankind.
Labor Ia prior TO and independentNof cap
i,al. Labor Is the superior OF capital O ana
Capital has its rights, which are as
worthy Of protection as any other rights,
Nor should this lead TO war upon
property. Property is the fruit OF labor.
Property is desirable, is a positive good in
the world. Let not him who is houselcsg
pull down the house Of another, but let
him work diligently and build one for him
self, thus by example assuring that his
own shall be safe from violence when
This last sentence characteristically
shows Lincolns homely. kindly common
sense. His is the attitude that we ought
10 take. lie showed the proper sense of,
proportion in his relative estimates OF cap
ital and labor, of human rights and the
rights OF wealth. Above all, in what he
thus said, as on so many other occasions,
he taught the indispensable lesson of the
need OF wise kindlinesS and charity, OF
sanity and moderation in the dealings of
men one with another.
We should discriminate between two pur-
poses We have. in view. The first IS the et-
fort TO provide what are themselves the
ends Of good government; the second Is
the effort 10 provide proper machinery for
the achievement OF these ends
Enes Of Good Government.
The ends of good government in our
Democracy are 20 secure By genuine popu-
lar rule high average Of moral and ma
ter&l wellbeipg among our citizens. IL
has been well said that In the past we
have paid attention only TO the accumula-
ton Of prosperity and that from hence
forth we must pay equal attention 10 the
proper distribution OF prosperity, this is
tYus The only prosperity worth having