Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1912-03-21
OPENING FIRE
BY ROOSEVELT
Delivers First Address of
Campaign in New
York City
CARNEGIE HALL PACKED
DECLARES ISSTt Al STALE l.
WHETHER PEOPLE ARE CA
PAHI.E OF SFLF- COY.
ERNNiFNT.

New York, March 2O.--ln the inst
speech Of his campaign for the pres
idential nomination, Theodore Roose'
yeh tonight coutrasted his position
with President Tafts and said that
the real Issue al stake was whether
the American people should govern
themselves.
Roosevelt spoke before a crowd
which filled Carnegie Hall. In the
opening part Of mis- address, he said.
The great fundamental issie now
before the Republican party and be-
fore our people can be stated briefly
II is. Are the American people fit TO
govern themselves, to rule them
selves, TO control themselves ! be-
lieve they are My opponents do not
] believe in the right OF the people
TO rlle. believe that the majority
OF the plain people Of the United
States will. day in and day out, make
fewer mistakes in governing them
selves than any smaller class or oody
of mon. no matter what their train
ms. will make in trying to govern
them believe. again. that ti'r
American people are, as a whole, ca
pahle Of self-control and OF learnirS
by theft mistakes. Our opponents
nav lip-loyalty to this doctrine; bat
they show their real beliefs by the
vsv In which they champion every
device to make the nominal rule OF
the people a sham.
I have scant patience with hts
,alk OF the tyranny OF the majority
whenever there is tyranny of the
malOrity, shall protest against II
with all my heart and soul But we
are today suffering from the tyranny
of minorities II Is a small minority
that is grabbing our coal deposits,
our water powers. and our hartor
fronts A small minority IN tatten-
inr on the sale OF adulterqted foods
and drugs II is a small minority
that lies behind monopolies AMI
trusts I. Is small minority that
stands behind the present law OF mas
ter and servant. the sweat-shops, AMI
the whole calendar OF social and in
dustrial Injustice. u Is a small min
ori,y that is today using our conven-
tion system 10 defeat the will of a
majority Of tie people In TIE choice
of delegates 10 the Chicago conven'
ion. The only tyrannies from which
men. women and children are suffer
inr in real life are the tyrannles OF
miu0rities
n the majority ot the American
peoplc we're In fact tyranuons ove'
the minority. II democracy had NJ
greater self-control Than empire, then
indeed no written words which our
forcfathers put into the Constitution
could stay that tyranny
No sane man who has been famil'
i?r with the government Of this ccun.
try for the last twenty years will
COMPLAIN that W. have had too mucll
Of the rule Of the majority. The
trouble has been far different one
that. at many times and in many
localities. there have held public Of
flee IN the States and In the Nation
men who have In fact, served not the
whole people, but some special elias;
or special interests am not think
inc only OF those special Interest
which by rrosscr methods. nv bribery
and ,riuC. have stolen from the peo
ple am thinking as much of Their
respectable allies and figurehcads
who have ruled and leGislated and
decided as II IN some way the vested
rights Of privilege had first mort
sage on the whole United States
while the rights OF all the people
were merely an unsecured debt. An
oversiatin2 the CASE Have oul
politioa, leaders always, or generally
recoeniled their duty to the peoplt
as anythine more than a duty TO dis
perse the mob. see the ashes are tax
en- away. and distribute patronage
Have orr leaders always. or gener
ally, worked for The benefit Of human
beings, 10 increase the prosperity o.
all the people. 10 give to each some
opportunity OF LIKING decently ant
bringing ~ lis children well7 Tn,
queetions need no answer