Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1912-02-22

by the People Advocated.
Columbus, Ohio, Feb. 21.-ln his
address before the Ohio constitutional
convention, in session here, ex'Presl-
Dent Roosevelt spoke substantially
n follows:
Mr.. President, and Members OF the
Ohio Constitutional Convention:
am profoundly sensible OF the
honor you have done me In asking
me to address you You are engaged
IN the fundamental work OF seii-goV-
arnment; you are engaged In framing
n constitution under and In accord
ance with which the people are TO get
and to do justice and absolutely 70
rule themselves. No representative
body can have a higher task. TO
carry It through successfully there is
need to combine practical common
sense of most hard-headed kind with
a spirit of lofty idealism. Without
ldealism your work will be but a sor-
ala makeshift; and without the naro'
headed co.Au. Un sense the ideallsm
vii be either wasted or worse tnan
wasted.
shall not try to speak to you OF
matters OF detail. cannot touch
upon them all; the subject is too vast
and the time too limited; i any one
Of on cares to know my views OF
thef matters which ! do not TO-DAY
discuss, will gladly send him q
copy Of the speeches made in 1910
which / think cover most OF the
ground.
l believe in pure democracy With
Lincoln, l hold that this country
with its institutions. belongs to the
people who inhabit It Whenever they
shall grow weary OF the existing
government, they can exercise their
constitutional right Of amending IT,"
We progressives believe that the PEG
pse have the right, the power, and the
auty to protect themselves and their
own welfare; that human rights are
supreme over all other rights; that
wealth should be the servant, not the
mnater, Of the people We believe
chat unless representative govern
ksnt does absolutely represent the
people It 10 not representative govern
.s@ent At all, We test the worth OF
nj men and all measures by asking
how they contribute to the welfare
of the men, women and children OF
whom this nation IL composed. We
IRE engaged in one Of the great bat.
4les Of the age-long contest Taged
ngainsi privilege on behalf Of the
pDmmon welfare, We hold II prime
auty Of the people to free our gov
mrnmant from the control Of money
n politics. For this purpose we ad
wOcatc, not as ends In themselves, but
a. weapons in the hands Of the peo
nla. ali governmental devices which
win make the representatives Of the
PsOple more easily and certainly 70
nponsible to the peoples will.
Constitution and the People.
I am emphatically a believer in
constituticnalism. and because OF thiS
TACT no less emphatically protest
Maminst any theory that would make
"a the Constitution means Of thwart
1ng instead Of securing the absoluts
right Of the people TO rule themselves
and to provide for their own socia
md industrial weII-being. All eonsti
autions, those Of the states no lesI
than that Of the nation. are designed
and must be interpreted and admin
Astered 60 as 70 81 human rights
IdncOln 80 interpreted and admins
tered the national Constitution Blu
ehanan attempted to reverse. attempt
cd 70 at human rights to. and Inns
them By. the Constitution Il Wal
Buchanan who treated the courts as /
fetish, who protested against and con
Asmned all criticism Of the judge
Tor unjust and unFighteons decisions
and upheld the Constitution &c an IN
9trument for the protection Of priv
aiego and Of vested wrong II val
Iancoln who appealed 70 the peopl'
against the judges when the judge
went wrong. who advocated and se
cured what vas Practically he fecai
u the Dred Scott decision. and VII,
treated the Constitution az q Bvini
GDrce for righteousness. We stand
for applying the Constitution 70 III
ISSUES Of today as Lincoln applied 4
90 the issues Of his day.
4 hold & 70 Be the duty 81 ever
public servant, and az every man M
q pebble o. n private ne holds
pnEihon Of leadership n thought q
action. 70 endeaFor honestly and feal
1asrIF q guide Ms fsil0w -counflg
men e fiahk decleions: bit empla'
alIr eIst fr1n no VieW ihal & 4
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