The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-05-06
ROOSEVELT PERL EVIDENT.

Ito everyone. Mr.. Roosevelt Is nc
longer patriot, nor even q party
man. he is merely selfseeking dema-
goguc. whose ambition overlcaps both
honesty and discretion. He is appeal
ing to the people primarily on mere
personalities and State issues. He is
promising the people TO help pass laws
TO make their rule supreme, the tenn
.pQrary impulses of the masses to take
the place of wcllsettled judicial prin-
ciples, and to set at naught the firm
and methods of constituting legislation.
He will, as he says, make life easier
for the people. His proposals to this
end include distinctively as his own
the recall of judicial decisions This
he insists upon as the basic plan of his
the recall of judicial decisions applied
to the Federal courts, but only TO the
State courts. What this has to do with
the Presidential campaign it will be
difficult to point out; and yet that
is the foundation stone of Col. Roose-
to that recall which is distinctively
his own. he stands also for the recall
of Judges. for the referendum, the ini-
tiativo. and tho short ballot. The con.
tradictions involved in all this do not
disturb him in the least. A short bal
lot. for example, would withdraw from
the ticket which the people vote, the
names Of most of the officials that are
to serve the public, aud would concen-
trate the voting upon a few chief Off
GERS. these to appoint their subordi-
mates. And while he would shorten the
ballot by thus deprlving the electors
of their right TO vote for their off,
Gals, he would leugthen the ballot by
tedious proposals to recall decisions, to
pass upon laws by way Of referendum,
To recall Officers of States and locali-
ties. and TO amend the constitutions of
States In many points, as when the
voters Of Oregon in 1910 passed upon
upwards Of thirty constitutional
amendments and statutes, That is, he
would shorten the ballot as to tho peo-
ple's right to vote for officers, and
lengthen it as to their votes on i'm
personal propositions.
In none of these things, however, is
there even one National proposition;
and vet he is supposed to be making
a National campaign. The demagogy
Of all this is evident; ii is fawning,
specious appeal to the people for the
peoples undoing.
Col Roosevelt is not a man of any
fixed opinions. He is saying one day
what he repudiates the next, and is
such p trimmer and shifty politician,
that it is impossible either to follow
him or to hold him to any given propo-
sition. He was for Canadian Teciproc-
ity. but all at once he turned when he
sought the votes of the farmers of the
old Northwest who opposed that reci-
procity, and explained that when he
endorsed the measure he did not right
" understand what it was; this in it.
self being a confession OF reckless i'm
becilitv in passing upon public ques-
tions that cannot be reassuring to the
voters. And yet his explanation of this
is SO characteristic Of his ordinary
course. that people recognize it as dis
tinctly Rooseveltian- He Jumps at con-
and has no reluctance in re-
versing himself instantly. when he sees
that reversal is to his advantage.
Representative Campbell of Kansas
stigmatized Roosevelt's proposal for
the recall of judicial decisions as can
appeal from the umpire to the bleach
ers." Thereupon Roosevelt turned the
venom Of his vindictive vituperation
upon Mr., Campbell, and has kept it up
without ceasing ever since. Reply
ing. Representative Campbell turned
upon Roosevelt and gave him some
blows quite as strong as Roosevelt him
self is able to deliver. He pointed out
method Of assailing every
one. and branding those whom he could
not bend to his purpose as liars and
scoundrels. He pointed out Roosevelt s
consent eliminating that this was given
at night, in secret compact,) to the
Steel Trust IS unlawful absorption of
the Tennessee Coal g. Iron Company,
and claiming that Roosevelt, while
President. had written a note to the
Department Of Justice asking that
steps toward the prosecution Of the
Harvester Trust be suspended, Repre-
sentative Campbell said that the
trouble with Roosevelt is his thirst for
power. and while admitting that Roose-
welt is the greatest politician since
Julius Caesar, he stated that while
Roosevelt has all the ambition of
Caesar. or Cromwell, and of Napoleon,
he has neither the craftsmanship nor
the ability or any one of them. 1t was
a dressing down quite in the Roosevelt
order which Roosevelt received from
Mr.. Campbell.
Col Roosevelt has been going
through the country claiming to- be
Lincoln Republican, and pretendingJ