Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-03-12
TAFT PRAISED FOR
SPEECHES IN WEST
CONTINUED From Page -

SPEECHES In WESl
! Continued From Page -
property for the uplift of humanity II
that it is impossible to find a sum
GENTLY strong motive for labor or TO-
saving. Without this the wealth o.
the world would not increase to NEE
the demands for the living and com
fort and increased physical happiness
Of the growing population
In conclusion the president pointed
to acts of his administration to prove
its progressiveness. He said IN part:
"In the history of politics from time
to time new phrases are coined te
characterize new issues and new move
ments. One of the terms which mas
come into constant use today is pro
gressive, and it is supposed to indicate
the opposite Of 'reactionary' or ultra
conservative, Men differ as to what
progressive policies are, but perhaps
we can reach definition that will suit
everybody.
Government is framed for the great.
est good for the greatest number, and
also for the greatest good of the indi'
vldual, and the problem presented is
, the balancing of these two objects IN
! such way as that both may proceed
| side by side. While we would not part
with the right of property, and Wniie
possibly in certain directions we mlgnt
! be willing to modify the character OF
it's use where it has turned out TO be
an abuse, as in the case of the anti.
trust law, what We are all struggling
for, what we all recognize as the
highest ideal in society, is equality OF
opportunity for every member born
into it. .u".
| The Jeffersonan Idea.
:; Under the Jeffersonian idea it was
thought that the least government OF
mankind was the best and that the
more nearly the functions OF the gov
eminent were confined to the admins.
tration of Justice and to the enforce
ment of law, the better; but under
present conditions Of population and
civilization there are many functions
that the government can more effec-
lively and more economically erform
| than private enterprise, and IN this
way the individuals among the people
may derive greater benefits. The
statutory provision of the legislative
discharge of such functions by the
government is progressive ..
There were many who were not So
cialists but who saw In the present
structure Of our government and es-
pecially in the checks and balances IN
tended by the trainers of our QonStltu-
ton to secure deliberation and calm
faction on the part of the people real
obstruction to the reforms that were
deemed necessary In order to MAINTAIN
the proper control of capital and cor
porate privilege by popular will and to
secure equality of opportunity. FRO
gressives Of this stripe attained a great
popular support and were able for
time at least to give the impression
that others who were equally lmbued
with the necessity for reform by legls-
lative and governmental action, but
who thought it might come without de-
stroying the present structure OF our
government and without affecting the
guarantees of life, libertv and property,
were reactionary and unsynpathetlc
with the cauSe-ef the people. The bitter
ness of the attacks which they made
on men in responsible positions, the
lack of restraint that they manifested
in impeachng the motives OF men as
high minded and as earnest as any OF
them were only symptoms of psy-
Geological situation that !. must pass
under the calming lapse of time as the
public came to view the situation with
a knowledge Of the facts and with that
common sense and spirit OF fairness
that ultimately always prevails among
the American people.
All for Popular Government.
1--WE all believe in popular govern
ment. I am aware of the exposure to
criticism which the suggestion that the
American people may make mistakes
by hasty action and lack of dellberatlon
will expose one i am aware of the ease
with which such a suggestion can be
Tortured into an expression or a dls-
trust in the American people. l am
aware that a body of people does not
differ in certain traits from the indi-
yiduals who make it up, and that peo-
pie like to be flattered as do individu-
ais l know that a whole people does
not any more than the individual en-
ioy having their own defects pointed
out to them. The truth is, though, that
! the man who tells the people or the
danger that may arise from hasty anu
mistaken action pays higher tribute
! to them than the one who constantly
fawns upon them as if they were in
capable of error. The most abiding
compliment that can be paid to the
American people is to point to the fact
that in the constitution which they
! framed and have maintained they nave
recognized the danger Of hasty action
by themselves and have, in it's checks
and balances, voluntarily maintained a
protection against 1.-THE truth is that
| in this last century we have vindicated
, popular government in way that 1t
has never been indicated before.
= "Distrust of popular government!
The pride that / have that this is a
popular government, and that it has
shown itself the strongest in history is
as deeply embedded as any feeling that
is in me- I would be the last man to eX-
clude from the direction of the ship OF
| state the will of the American people
! That is the ultimate source of author
ity and it does not in any way minim-
Iize my faith and my love Of popular
government that insist that the ex.
preston of that popular will shall be
with the elaboration to make 1T SOUND
land safe. I fully and freely admit anc
assert that when the American people
lhave had time to consider their bear.
ling, their deliberate judgment is E
wiser and better guide to be follow,
led by the state than the judgment o.
the most experienced statesman, the
Imost learned jurist, the most profound
IL If bicfprv In this nrODer sense