Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1912-04-15
PRoGREssIYE POLICIES LAIp DOWN BY ROOSEVELT

PROGRESSIVE POLICIES LAID DOWN BY ROOSEVELT.
aim is the real and not the nominal rule Of
the people.
tends to secure privilege.
We believe in securing for the people the direct election Of
United States senators.
We believe in securing for the people the right of nomnat
ing candidates for office from the president down. by direct
primaries.
We believe in securing for the people the exercise of real
office
Our object is to give the people control and to have the peo
pie exercise this control in the spirit Of the broadest sympathy
and broades desire to social and industrial justice for
every man and woman
We stand for the adequate control Of all big business and
especially Of all monopostc big business where proves
wise or impossible to break down the monopoly.
Prosperity can only permanently to this country
basis Of honesty and Of fair treatment for all.
The keynote Of the progressive campaign 1912 sound
ed by Col Roosevelt in his Louisville KY, speech April
AT that time Col Roosevelt made plain the issues which the
voters Of the country are called upon to decide at the pos
Of the people the rights of the many against special privilege
right against wrong and honesty against dishonesty.
At the outset Col Roosevelt shattered the claims of Mr. Taft
to be called progressive showing that Mr. Taft has failed to
carry out the policies to which he pledged himself before he
tered the White House that he has been won over to the side
Of special privilege and allowed the reactonaries who fought
him three years ago to dominate his administration.
In of COL Roosevets sentences may be summed up
his stand in the present fight. He said:
I'VE who stand for the of progress for the cause of
the uplift Of humanity and for the beement of mankind
pledged to eternal war against tyranny and ring by the few
many, by plutOcracy by mob"
COL Roosevelt stated that the nation is facing one of the
the progresyes means the placing Of human life above the
dollar the government control of bg business the consera
on Of natural resources and the restoration Of power to the
people themselves Victory for the reaconares headed by Mr.
TAFT however he stated the control Of the government
and the courts in the interest of bg business and return to
that condition when commercial corruption in league with pot
ca allies seized the most valuable of the counys properties
While severely arraignng Mr. Taft for his daory tactics
Col Roosevelt was sufficiently charitable not to charge him
with anything more than tmdiy and lack of comprehension
Every man who, directly indirectly, uphods privilege
and fayors the special interests whether he acts from evil mo-
yves or merely Because he puzzheaded dull of mental
VISION or lacking in social sympathy whether he simply
lacks interest in the subject is reactionary"
Inc man is reactionary whatever may be his profess
ons and no matter how excellent his Intentions who opposes
these movements who if in high place. takes no interest in
them and does not earnestly help them forward.
We are in period Of change are fronting great
period Of further change Never the need more mpera
tive Of men Of vision who also men of action Disaster is
ahead Of us If we trust to the leadership Of the
that we can find safety in dull tmidty and dull inacon"
Co Rooseves proof Of the inability of Mr. Taft to sue
cessu guide the ship Of state and at the same time his ver
dict the subject Of Mr. Tafs claims to being progressive
are contained in the following sentences:
-Four years the progessves supported Mr. Taft for
president and he opposed by such representatives of sp
cial privilege as Mr. Penrose of Pennsvvana Mr. 4idb of
Rhode Island Mr.. Galnger of New Hampshire and Messrs
ormer Cannon and Mckinley Of Illinois, and he was opposed
helm and Evans of Colorado and Mr. Patrick Calhoun Of San
francisco These men were not poesses them and they do
not pretend to be progressves now.
But unlike the president they know who is a progressive
and who is not Their Judgment in the matter is good but
aer three and half years of association with and knowledge
OF the president these and their fellows now the presidents
chief supporters and they and the men who feel and act as
ney do in business and in politics give him the great bulk of
his strength
rhe president says he Is progressive these men know
him well and have studied his actions for three years and thew
regard him as being precisely the kind of progressive whom
ey approve Now the pogresseness that and merits
the cordial approval Of these gentlemen is not the kind of pro
gresSiyeness which we on our side champion
however good tle presidents Intentions believe that his
actions have shown that he entitled to the support pre-
cisey these men,"