Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-02-21
Sees Injury in Threatening
Attitude Towards the
Unoffending.
HONESTY IN BUSINESS
Enactment All Right When It
Runs Down GuiIty-For
Progressive Legislation.

Columbus, Ohio, Feb. 21.-Theo-
dore Roosevelt arrived In Columbus
at 10 o'clock this morning. An hour
later he addressed the fourth Ohio
convention. Politi-
clans from all parts Of Ohio came
to Columbus to hear Roosevelt. AS
his train rushed through Ohio today
people gathered at every station at
which a stop was made.
President Bigelow Of the constitu-
tional convention, In his Introduction
referred to Roosevelt as a man whose
face is more familiar than the face
of the man in the moon"
CHARTER OF DEMOCRACY
big business" the fitness Of the
American people for self-government,
the recall OF judges, and praise for the
progressive legislation in Wisconsin in
stituted and furthered by Senator
Robert NJ. La Toilette when he was
governor, were topics discussed by
Theodore Roosevelt in an address to-
vention here. Colonel Roosevelt chose
as his subject, "a Charter of Democ-
racY." On what he termed big BUSH.
ness" Colonel Roosevelt had this to
say:
"The antitrust law does good In so
far as it can be invoked against COM
binations which really are monopolies
or which restrict production or which
artifcially raise prices. But in so far
as it's workings are uncertain or as it
threatens corporations which have not
been guilty of anti-social conduct 1t
does harm. There should be a fixed
governmental policy which shall clear
ly define and punish wrongdoing and
give in advance full information to
any man as to Just what he can and
just what he cannot legally and prop
erly do
FIT FOR SELF-GOvERNMENT.
AS to the fitness of the American
people for selfgovernment, Colonel
Roosevelt said:
MANY eminent lawyers believe that
the American people are not fitted for
popular government and that 1t Is nee
essary to keep the judiciary 1ndepend-
ent of the majority of the people,
take absolute issue with all those
who hold such position"
OF the recall of judges, he said:
THE question is one of expediency
merely. Each community has the
right to try the experiment for itself
in whatever shape 1t pleases. / do not
believe in adopting the recall save as
last resort when it has become clear
ly evident that no other course will
achieve the desired result"
BOUQUET FOR LA TOILETTE.
Senator La Toilette was mentioned
but once, as follows:
Following Senator La Toilette a
number Of practical workers and think
ers in Wisconsin have turned that
state into an experimental laboratory
of wise governmental action in aid Of
social and Industrial justice. They
have initiated that kind of progressive
government which means not only the
preservation Of true democracy, but the
/ VI ShC PiihSipiC Va NV Nv
mocracy into industrialism as well as
into politics" Among other points
made by Roosevelt were:
81 hold 1t to be the duty of every
public servant, and of every man who
in public or private life holds a posi-
ton of leadership in thought or action,
to endeavor honestly and fearlessly to
guide his fellow-countrymen TO right
decisions; but I emphatically dissent
from the view that it is either wise
or necessary to try to devise methods
which under the constitution will auto
matically prevent the people from de-
Gliding for themselves what govern.
mental action they deem Just and
proper.
i DEFEATING POPULAR WILL.
'It Is impossible TO invent constitu
tional devices which will prevent tht
popular viii from being effective e.
wrong without also preventing It from
being effective for right The only saf,
course to follow In this great Ameri
can democracy is 20 provide fc- max
ing the popular judgment really ei
, fectiye. But it Is false constitution
aiism. false craftsmanship, to en-
deavor by the exercise Of a pervertet
: ingenuity 70 seem TO give the peopl.
Il