Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1912-04-04

The salient passages in Colonel
RooseveIt's forceful campaign speech,
delivered In Carnegie Hall, New York,
Wednesday evening, Is given below:
The great fundamental issue now
before the republican party and be-
fore our people can be stated briefly.
II 10, are tho American people At to
govern themselves, to rule them
selves, TO control themselves?
believe they are. My opponents
DO not believe in the right Of the
people to rule. believe that the ma
iority Of the plain people In the Unit
ed States will, do, day in and day
out make fewer mistakes in govern
ing themselves than any similar class
or body Of men, no matter what their
training, will make In trying togovern
them. believe again that the Amer
isan people % a whole, are capable Of
self control and Of learning by their
mistakes. Our opponents pay lip 10y
atty TO this doctrine, but they show
their real beliefs by the way in which
they champion every device to make
the nominal rule Of the people a sham.
have scant patience with this talk
Of the tyranny Of the majority When
ever there is tyranny Of the majority
/ shall protest against It with all my
heart and soul But we are today
suffering from the tyranny Of the mi
nOritleB II is small minority that
is grabbing our coal deposits, our
water powers and our harbor fronts.
A small minority Is fattenlng on the
sale Of adulterated foods and drugs
II is a small minority that lies behind
monopolles and trusts. II is small
minority that stands behind the pres.
ent law OF master and servant, the
sweatshops and the whole calendar Of
social and Industrial injustice, II is
a small minority that is today using
our convention syBtem TO defeat the
will Of a majority Of the people In the
choice OF delegates to the Chicago
convention.
My opponents charge that two
things In my program are wrong be-
cause they lntrude into the sanctuary
" the Judiciary.
The frBt IL the recall OF Judges and
he second the review by the people
n judicial decisions on certain excep.
ional questions. have said again
and again that do not advocate the
-eoall OF judges in all states and In all
communities, The integrity of our
Judges, from Marshall TO White and
Holmes-and to Cullen and many 9th.
ers In our state--is a fine page OF
American history. But--l say II 80
1erly-democraoy has right to ap.
proach the sanctuary OF the courts
when a special interest has eorruptly
found sanctuary, aud this Ia exactly
what has happened In some OF the
states whore the recall Of the judges
is living l6sue. Is II not equally
plain that the question whether a Civ.
en- social policy 10 for the public good
Ia not OF judicial nature. but should
be settled by the Legislature or In the
nnal instance, by the people them.
solyos7
The prosident Of tho United States,
Mr. Taft, devoted most Of recent
speech TO eritloiHe some OF this prop.
Osition. He says that "it 10 utterly
without merit or utility and, instead
OF being IN the interest Of all the peo.
pie and OF the stability OF popular
government, Ia sowing the seeds Of
confusion and tyranny" ny this he
Of course meant the tyranny OF the
maiority-that IL tho tyranny OF the
American people ~ a whole,
He also says that my proposal,
(which aa he rightly sees II. is merely
a proposal TO giye tho people a real
instead Of only a nominal chance to
conatrue and amend state legislation
with reasonable rapldity) would mako
such amendment and Interpretation
depend on the ieverlsh uncertain
aud unstable determinations Of sue.
oeaalve votes on different laws by
temporary and changing maiorltioa,"
and that ~ lays the axe at the foot
Of the tree OF we'll ordered freedom
and subjects the guarantees Of lite,
liberty and prosperity without remedy,
10 tho htiul impulse OF O temporary
majority Of an electorate"
This orltlclam in really less a crit.
iclam OF my proposal than a criticism
OF all popular government Il ls Who'll.
ly unfounded, unless Il 10 founded on |
the belief that the people are funda.
mentally untrustworthy This 10 the
question that | propose 10 submit to
the people, How can the prevailing |
morality or prepondorant opinion |
be- better and more exactly ascer
talned than by a vote OF the peoplel
The people must know better than
the court what their own morality and |
their own opinion ia, ask that you |
bere, you and others like you. you, the
people, be given the chance to state
pour own vlewa Of justice and public
morality and not sit mVesly BY and
have your Views announced Tor you
BY well meaning adheren,s Of ou,worn /
phlloaophlos who exalt the pedantry
Of formulas above the vital nesda OF
human life.
Mr. Taft'r position Is the position
iha, has been hold from the beginning |
81 our government. although not a.
ways 30 openly held. BY a large mum,
aor Of reputable and honorable men !