Evening journal., 1912-08-06
ROOSEVELT
ADDRESSES
CONVENTION
(confinued from Pace slxl


which promotes the actual use Of land
and discourages the holding Of land
for speculation. The telegraph lines
should be owned and operated by the
government
international Affairs.
Tn international affairs this country
should behave toward other nations ex-
sctly as an honorable private citizen
behaves toward other private citizens" ="
Our small army should have efficiency;
the navy must be steadily built Up un-
81 it proves possible 10 secure by in
ternational agreement a general reduc.
zion Of armaments,' the Panama canal
must be fortified Panama canal tolls
on deep water commerce should be
uniform to all nations, including our
selves American coastwise vessels
should pass through the canal free, for
this would he no discrimination against
foreign nations and would give us rea-
sonahle competition with transconti-
mental railways No foreign treaty
should be entered into which we do
not mean 10 scrupulously observe in
every particular
Conclusion.
In summing up the specific policies
nxpounded in his address Mr.. Roosevelt
spoke as follows;
Now. friends. this is my confession
Of faith. have made II rather long
because wish you to know Just what
my deepest convictions are on the
great questions Of today. so that n you
choose to make me your standard bear
er in the fight you shall make your
choice understanding exactly how
iceland II. after hearing me. you
else shall Loyalty abide by your choice
The convictions to which have come
have not been arrived at az the result
Of study in the closet or the library,
but from the knowledge have gained
through hard experience during the
many years In which, under many and
varied conditions. ] have striven and
toiled with men. I believe in a larger
use Of the governmental power 10 help
remedy industrial wrongs because it
has been borno in on me by actual ex-
perience that without the exercise Of
such power many Of the wrongs will
go unremedied. I believe in a larger
opportunity for the people themselves
directly 70 participate In government
and to control their governmental
agents because long experience has
taught me that without such control
many Of their agents win represent
them badly. BY actual experience In
Office ! have found that. as a rule. /
could secure the triumph OF the causes
In which most believed, not from the
politicians and the men who claim an
exceptional right to speak In business
and government. but by going over
their heads and appealing directly to
the people themselves.
u am not under the slightest delusion
MS 70 any power that during my pollt
ical career have at any time possessed
Whatever Of power at any time had
obtained from the people. could
exercise II only so long as and 10 the
extent that the people not merely be-
lleved in me. but heartily backed me
up. Whatever I did as president I was
able 10 do only because had the back
ing OF the people. When on any point
did not have that backing, when on
any point ! differed from the people, Il
mattered not whether ] was right or
whether i was wrong, my power van.
ished tried my best TO lead the peo.
pie, to advise them, to tell them what
thought was right; n necessary l
never hesitated to tell them what ]
thought they ought TO hear. even though
It would be unpleasant for them to
hear It, but ! recognized that my task
was to try to lead them and not tc
drive them. TO take them Into my conn
dence, to try to show them that was
right and then Loyalty and IN good faith
10 accept their decision. win do any
thing for the people except what my
conscience tells me IL wrong. and that
can do for no man and no set Of men
7 hold that a man cannot serve the
people well unless he serves his con
science, but | hold also that where hi.
conscience bids him refuse to do whar
the people desire he Should not Try I,
continue ia Office against their will
Our government system should be 6,
shaped that the public servant, wher
he cannot conscienhously carry ou
the wishes Of the people, shall at thei,
desire leave his once and not misrer
resent them in ONCE, and i hold thai
the public servant can by so doing bet
fer than IN any other way serve botl
them and his conscience.
Surely there never was q fight bette
worth making than the one IN whicl
we are engaged. Il little matters wha
Details any one OF us who for the TIM
being stands in the forefront Of the bat
lie. ] hope we shall win, and believ,
that II we can wake the people 20 wha
the night really means we shall win
But, win or lose. we shall not falter
Whatever fate may at the momen
overtake any OF us. the movement itsel
Will not stop. Our cause Is based on III
eternal principles OF righteousness, an
even though we who now lead NAV 70
the time fail In the end the cause itsel
shall triumph. Six weeks ago, here 4
Chicsgo. ! spoke 10 the honest repre-
sentatives OF convention which wa
not dominated by honest men. a cor
vention wherein sat. alas. a majorit
Of men who. with sneerirg indifference
to every principle of right. 50 acted a
to bring to a shameful end a part
which had been founded over half
century ago by men in whose soul
burned the IRE OF lofty endeavor. No.
to you men who in your turn hav