Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-06

American cOaStWlSe vessels SnOuiQ
pass through the canal free.
will be "a contract with the people, with
definite and concrete provisions to be
carried out If the people ratify the con-
tract on election day as exactly and
honestly "as II it were actually enforce
able under the law
Right of the People to Rule.
The actions Of the Chicago convention.
and to an only less degree of the Balti-
more conventions. have shown in striking
fashion how little the people do rule under
our present conditions" In order to as
sure this popular rule Mr.. Roosevelt
urged the adoption of presidential
primaries. popular election Of senator's
the short ballot. an efficient corrupt
tive. referendum and recall. The recall
should be applied to administrative Of
ficers. Mr. Roosevelt asserts that the
adoption of these new methods OF political
administration is not antagonistic TO rep
resentative government 'All I desire to
do by securing more direct control OF the
governmental agents and representatives
Of the people is to give the people tne
chance to make their representatives
really represent them whenever the gov
stead of representative.
Mr.. Roosevelt reiterates his now well
known views regarding the courts Ihe
American people. and not the courts. are
This does not mean that the
people are to interfere In cases wnlcn
involve merely questions OF justice De-
tween individuals. except that means
should be devised for making 1T easier
than a; present to get rid Of an incom-
petent Judge" But when a judicial de-
cision involves an Interpretation of what
the people mean by the constitutions
which they have framed and laws passed
by the people are nullified because the
courts say those laws are contrary to
the peoples will as expressed in their
there must be refer
ence to the people of the pubic enect
of such decisions under forms securing
full deliberation. 10 the END that the
in their Constitution by popular vote
havig all the force Of constitutional
Trust Regulation.
Regarding the trust problem. he said:
The antitrust law should be kept on
the statute book. to be invoked against
every big concern tending to monopoly
or guilty of anti-social practices. At the
same time a national industrial commits
sion should be created which should
have complete power to regulate and con-
troll all the great industrial concerns
engaged In interstate business-which
practically means all of them in this
country. This commission should exer-
else over these industrial concerns IKE
powers to those exercised over the rail-
ways by the interstate commerce COM
the controller Of the currency, and ad-
ditional powers If found necessary"
He continued:
.Our proposal is to help honest business
activity however extensive. and to see
that ii is rewarded with fair return. so
that there may be no oppression either
of business men or the common people.
We propose to make 1t worth while for
our business men to develop the most
efficient business agencies for use in in
ternational trade. for it is to the interest
of our whole people that We should do
well in international business. But We
propose to make those business agencies
do complete justice to our own people.
THE country life commission should be
revived with greatly increased power: its
abandonment was severe blow to our
people The welfare Of the farmer is a
basic need of this nation" The country
school should be brought in touch with
country life. For this reason the
progressives approve Of government CO.
operation with the farmer to make the
farm more productive. Cooperative
associations of farmers both for the pro-
duction and the selling Of agricultural
products should be encouraged. SO long
as the farmer leaves cooperative activi-
ties. with their profit-sharing, to the city
man of business, so long will the founda-
lions of wealth be undermined and the
comforts of enlightenment be impossible
In the country communities
Tariff Commission Favored.
o., tba tar;N he caid. Ut halia,-o a, q
protective tariff. but believe in it as a
or the interests of the whole people. and
not as a bundle Of preferences to be given
favorite individuals He believes the
American people favor the principle of a
protective tariff. but are In rebellion
against the wrong-do.ng and unjust APP
plication Of that policy anu the abuses in
past legislation.
1T is not merely the tariff that should
be revised. but the method of tariff
making end OF tariff administration.
The first steps should be the creation
of permanent commission of non
partisan experts OF ample powers" TO
secure exact and reliable informal ton. !"
THE present tariff board is entirely in
adequate in point of powers reposed In
il and scope of work undertaken" The
tariff commission in Germany affords a
splendid model. This commission must
scientifically determine 1.-The difference in
the cost of production here and abroad
the effect on prices to the consumer.
insure full justice to the pay envelope
Of the wage-earner. The commission must
not attempt to encroach on the tariff
making power of Congress. 1t shall re-
port with full publicity and promptly.
The tariff shall lie revised schedule by
schedule to avoid the staggering blows
to business" incident to former general
revisions. The effect will be to wipe out
the "log-rolling and vote-traking" secured
by special interests in the past. only
by this means can the tariff be taken out
of politics.
High Cost Of Living.