The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-02-23
COLONEL RoosEvELT's SPEECH.

tional Convention on Wednesday was
an immensely long one, considerably
| longer than the old-style average Presi-
dent s message. \ very large part of
| it is taken up with a wouldbe inn
preSsive recital Of fundamental prin-
clrIes. as though these were newly dis.
covered, and now given to the Ameri-
can people for tho first time. He
| patroni2inglv comedies that Lincoln, in
his ''homelv, kindly commonSeuse, -
| had some ideas which arc even worthy
| of the approval of the great Roosevelt.
| This is concession that may be wei
! coined with tears Of gratitude by
Lincoln s admirers, but among whom
| it may be quite possible will be
found those who will cxtravagantly
hold that it is Lincoln who is the great
one, and that Roosevelt is insignif-
cancc beside him. From the Roose.
veltian standpoint, this, Of course, is
"Hat burglary and treason But 80
it is. Human nature is perverse, and
even the loudest beating Of the tomtom
does not always carry conviction to
every one that the bcater is the great
est man who ever lived, no matter
how Justify he may beat,
After passng from gcneralities to
particulars, Colonel Roosevelt comes
out definitely in favor Of the initiative
and referendum, and undertakes to
pillory those who oppose these as dis
believers in the entire American sys-
tenn Of government. On this point, he
says: Many eminent lawyers who
more or less frankly disbclieve in our
entire American system Of govern
mcnt for, by. and of the people, vio-
lently autagonizc this proposal" re"
ferrinc to the procedure by initiative
and referendum. Here he squarely begs
the whole question, and undertakes to
make those who oppose the initiative
American system of government. But,
since these new fads have come into
view and use within very few years,
the intent herein is as tricky as it is
absurd, The idea of measuring every
ones adherence TO the American sys-
tenn of government by his Endorsement
or rejection Of the initiative and
referendum Is, when squarely put, too
silly for any consideration, According
to that idea, the Fathers of the Repub-
lie who established republican and
not democratic form of government,
and did so consciously aud deliberate.
ly, failed in their duty in not max
ing the initiative and referendum a
part of our system Of government. The
weakness of Colonel Roosevelt S argu-
mcnt on this point is so plain that it
is astonishing to see man of his
ability and acutcncss range himself on
that side Of the question in that sort
Of way.
Passing then 10 the recall of Judges,
Colonel Roosevelt quotes an unnamed
Judge as supporting such recall, Ii Is
not difficult, of course, to bring for
ward such cases as this unnamed Judge
did bring forward, the ease OF the
Supreme Court of Missouri in liberat-
ing convicted boodlers on the flinsiest
sort of technicalities 1t is quite true
that the Supreme Court Of Missouri
did this; it is true that courts at times
fail, to do the right thing, This, how
ever, is merely because human nature
is not perfection, and the processes of
the human mind are not infallible. The
l.. h.
Supreme Court of Missouri seemed uu-
doubtedly to the Judges who used them
as far more important than the public
would copcede
Proceeding further. the Colonel CON
siders the sort of Judge that is ideal,
the one who should be put upon the
bench and kept there as long as pos
sible. He cOntrastcd him with the sort
Of Judge who is not desirable on the
bench. and who should primarily be
kept of from IT. and removed from it
AT the earliest opportunity He shows
that u practice impeachment does not
work, and that the people desire some.
thing more direct and usable to get rid
| tieal method OF impeachment. He
argues, therefore, that in exceptional
| eases, the recall for evil judges should
bc applied, considering that II is not
a question of principle, but one of eI-
pediency merely. But this gives away
the whole question Of principle; for, if
provisions are 10 be made for the re-
call of Judges in exceptional cases,
then we have the recall, otherwise
| there can be no use Of il in any case
whatever. But if we have the recall.
we have IL; and Colonel Roosevelt is
therefore in favor of tho establishment
of the recall for judicial officers. His
belief that the recall would not have
TO he used TO any great extent is a
! matter of no consequence whatever.