The Nevada County picayune. (Prescott, Ark.) 190?-current, 1912-02-23

ferred to the leading part that w
consin, under the direction Of Sc
ator LaFollette, had taken. Contin
ing he said:
All business into which the elemeA0!
of monopoly In any way or degree enS{
ters, and where it proves in practic4.
impossible totally to eliminate this elers
ment of monopoly, should be carefullya
supervised, regulated and controlled
by governmental authority; and suchs
control should be exercised by admin
istrative, rather than by judicial on
GERS. No effort should be made to o.
stroy big corporation merely -
cause 1t is big, merely because it -
shown itself a peculiarly efficien&
business instrument. But we shou14
not fear, If necessary, to bring ~
regulation of big corporations to ~
point of controlling conditions 30 th0&
the wage-worker shall have a waGn
more than sufficient to cover the baroI
cost of living, and hour of labor not!
so excessive as to wreck his stren0tm5
by the strain of amending toll al
leave him unfit 10 do his duty as "
good citizen of the community. M
Favors Direct Nominations. W
Speaking of direct nominations az
the initiative and referendum, he saiN
Il believe in providing for dire
nominations by the people, includiu
therein direct preferential primari1I
| for the election of delegates to the -
| ti0no1 In
Il believe in the election of Unite
| States senators by direct vote. Jul
as actual experience convinced Our
people that presidents should h
elected Gas they now are in practicG
although not in theory by direct voto
of the people instead of by direct Vote
| through an untrammeled electoral col
lege, so actual experience has con
yinced us that senators should be
elected by direct vote of the people
| instead of indirectly through the vari-
Gus legislatures.
Il believe in the initiative and the
! referendum, which should be used not
to destroy representative government
! but to correct it whenever 1t becomes
misrepresentation If in any state the
! people are themselves satisfied with
their present representative system,
then it is of course their right TO
keep that system unchanged; and 1t u
nobody's business but theirs. But il
actual practice 1t has been found II
very many states that Legislative
bodies have not been responsive to tho
| popular will. Therefore | believe that
the state should provide for the possi-
oility of direct popular action in ordsr
to make good such legislative fau-
| ure"
Referring to the recall the speaker
said he did not believe that there wa
any great necessity for it as regardD
+ short-term elective officers, but %
lieved it should be generally provided,
but with such restrictions as would
make IL available only when there Wa
widespread and genuine public feel
ing among a majority of the voters. q
One rec.ll, however. Mr.. Roosevelt
declared himself heartily in favor Of,
the recall of decisions on constitution.
al questions which the people thoughs
were wrong.
People Fit to Rule.
Mr.. Roosevelt took issue with many
eminent lawyers who do not believe IN
our American system of government
and in this connection said: Il taBG
absolute issue with all those who hold
such position. | regard 1t as a com.
plete negation of our whole systerl
of government; and If it became thu
dominant position In this country, II
would mean the absolute upsetting oi
both the rights and the rule of the
people.
Il do not say that the people are id
fallible. But do say that our who'll
history shows that the American PEG
pie are more often sound in their d
cisions than is the case with any d
~the governmental bodies to whom, fol
their convenience, they have dele
gated portions of their power II thil
is not so, then there is no Justification
for the existence of our government:
and If 1t is SO, then there Is no justt
fication for refusing to give the ped
pie the real, not merely the nominal
ultimate decision on Questions of con-
stitutional law"
In conclusion the speaker saidl
Keep clearly in view what are th(
fundamental ends of government.
hope that not only you and | but al
our people may ever remember thai
while good laws are necessary, while
it is necessary to have the right kind
of governmental machinery, yet thai
the all-important matter is to have tht
right kind of man behind the law.
good Constitution, and good laws UNI
der the Constitution. and fearless and
upright officials to administer the lawl
all these are necessary: but thu
prime requisite In our national life is
and must always be, the possession
by the average citizen OF the right
kind of character. Our aim must be
the moralization of the individual. OF
the government. of the people as