The Forrest City times., 1912-02-23
SUPREME
 SAYS ROOSEVELT
Ex-PREslOENT DECLARES HUMAN RIGHTS SHOULD COME BE-
 FORE ALL OTHERS.
MAKES SPEECH AT COLUMBUS
Addresses Members of Ohio Consttu- tlons convention-Favor Big Business Under Proper Con troI-Advocstes Direct
 Nominations.


 man rights are supreme over all othe rights and that wealth should be the servant, not the master. of the people was the keynote of an address delivered today by ex-President Roose- velt before the members of the Ohio constitutional convention in session In this city. He declared that unless government was truly representative 1t was not representative at all Re ferring to trusts he said that big busi- ness corporations should not be dis couraged but that laws should be en- acted by the government for their strict supervision.
 After acknowledging the honor ac- corded him in inviting him to address the delegates. MT. Roosevelt said:
 Country Belongs to People.
 T believe In pure democracy With Lincoln. hold that this country, with it's institutions. belongs to the people who inhabit 1t. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government. they can exercise their constitutional right of amending 1t We progressives believe that the peo- pie have the right. the power. and the duty to protect themselves and their own welfare; that human rights are supreme over all other rights: that wealth should be the servant, not the | master. of the people We believe | that unless representative govern ment does absolutely represent the l people 1t is not representative govern ment at all. We test the worth of all men and all measures by asking how they contribute to the welfare 1 or the men, women and children of whom this nation Is composed. We are engaged in one of the great bat ties of the age-long contest waged against privilege on behalf of the common welfare. We hold 1t a prime duty Of the people to free our gov ernment from the control of money in politics. For this purpose we ad- Vocate, not as ends in themselves. but as weapons in the hands of the peo- 1 pie, all governmental devices which will make the representatives of the people more easily and certainly re l sponsible to the peoples will
 T am emphatically a believer in constltutionalism and because of this fact l no less emphatically protest against any theory that would make or the Constitution a means of thwart- Ing instead of securing the absolute right of the people to rule themselves and 10 provide for their own social and industrial well-being. All consti- tutions those of the states no less than that of the nation. are designed and must be interpreted and admin lstered, so as to fit human rights.
 Supreme Power in People.
 T hold 1t 10 be the duty of every public servant and of every man ubo In public or private life holds position of leadership in thought or action. 10 endeavor honestly and fear lessly to guide hls felloW-country- men to right decisions; but I emphat. icaily dissent from the view that fl ia either wise or necessary to try 10 de vise methods (which under the Consti. tution will automatically prevent the people from deciding for themselves what governmental action they deem just and proper Conatitf,- tion-makers should make it clear he yond shadow of doubt that the peon1e= in their legislative capacity have the power to enact into law any measure they deem necessary for the better. ment of social and industrial condi- lions
 MT Roosevelt declared that in the past too much attention had been paid 10 the accumulation of prosperity but that the future more attention should be given to Is proper dlstribu- ton
 he only prosperity worth having" he declared, is that which affects the mass of the people I hold + to be our duty to see that the wage-worker The small producer. the ordinary con sumer, shall get their fair share of the benefit of business prosperity. But it either is or ought to be evident to every one that business has 10 pros per before anybody can get any bene- fit from 1t. Therefore I hold that he Is the real progressive. that he is the genuine champion of the people. who endeavors to shape the policy alike of the nation and of the several states so as to encourage legitimate and
 While the antitrust law was good as far as 1t went, Mir Roosevelt de- elared that by itself It could accom- plish but a tri1ing part of the gov ernment regulation that was neces- 
 ~~~~~~~~~~~o~o~~~~-~~~~
 On Roth Cida.