Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1912-08-08

UNIFORM 10 all nations, including our
selves. American coastwise vessels
should pass through the canal free, for
this would be no discrimination against
foreign nations and would give us rea-
sonable competition with transconti-
mental railways. No foreign treaty
should be entered into which we do
not mean to scrupulously observe in
every particular
Conclusion.
In summing up the specific policies
expounded in his address Mr.. Roosevelt
spoke as follows:
"Now, friends, this is my confession
Of faith. / have made 1t rather long
because / wish you to know just what
my deepest convictions are on the
great questions of today, so that if you
choose to make me your standard bear
/ er In the fight you shall make your
choice understanding exactly how |
iceland If, after hearing me, you
think you ought to choose some one
else shall Loyalty abide by your choice
/ The convictions to which have come
have not been arrived at as the result
or study in the closet or the library.
but from the knowledge / have gained
through hard experience during the
many years In which, under many and
varied conditions, / have striven and
toiled with men. / believe in q larger
use OF the governmental power to help
remedy industrial wrongs because il
has been borne in on me by actual ex-
hot
such power many of the wrongs will
go unremedied. l believe in a larger
opportunity for the people themselves
directly to participate in government
and TO control their governmental
agents. because long experience has
taught me that without such control
many of their agents will represent
them badly. By actual experience in
once | have found that, as rule, I !
could secure the triumph Of the causes
In which | most believed, not from the !
politicians and the men who claim an |
exceptional right to speak In business |
and government but by going over
their heads and appealing directly to |
the people themselves.
Il am not under the slightest delusion
as TO any power that during my polit-
lcal career have at any time possessed.
Whatever Of power / at any time had
L obtained from the people | could
exercise 1t only so long as and to the
extent that the people not merely be-
lieved in me, but heartily backed me
up, Whatever did as president / was
able to do only because | had the back
ing or the people. When on any point
did not have that backing, when on
any point differed from the people. II
mattered not whether | was right or
whether l was wrong, my power van
lshed l tried my best to lead the peo-
pie, to advise them, to tell them what
L thought was right; If necessary |
never hesitated TO tell them what |
thought they ought to hear, even though +,
IL would be unpleasant for them TO i
near 1t, but | recognized that my task
was TO try TO lead them and not TO !
drive them, 10 take them Into nv conf /
dence, to try to show them that vne ;
right and then loyalty and i'm good faith I
10 accept their decision. | will do any I
thing for the people except what INV :
tells me is wron-. and that 3
l can do for no man and no set OF men
hold that a man cannot serve the
people well unless he serves his con- {,
science, but | hold also that where his !,
conscience bids him refuse TO do what :
the people desire he should not try TO {
continue In Office against their will :,
Our government system should be SO :,
shaped that the public servant, when i
1e cannot conscientiously carry out
he wishes Of the people, shall at their Il
iesire leave his Office and not misrep-
'esent them in office, and / hold that q
ne public servant can by so doing bet q
er than In any other way serve both T.
hem and his conscience. r.
surely there never was fight better
worth making than the one In which 1t
We are engaged. 1t little matters what II
'efalls any one Of us who for the time d
icing stands In the forefront Of the bat D
lie. hope we shall win, and believe Il
nat II we can wake the people to what o
ne hight really means we shall win 1
gut, win or lose, we shall not falter tt
Whatever fate may at the moment vi
vertake any of us. the movement Itself CO
Till not stop. Our cause is based on II W
ternal principles of rghteouSnsss. :.s. C
ven though we who now lead a.... at
he time fail In the end the aus, a.. 81
hall triumph. Six wees l., b,
'hicago, spoke 10 t.e u.. liz
OF n convvu.l.a N
OF dominated by honest Z
ention wherein sat gl t.u be-