Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-02-27
ROOSEVELT ON RECALL.
Continued from Page one.)

we of today. if we are worthy of
endeavoring to lead the people alright.
must be doing our part to secure so
cial and Industrial justice through
genuine popular rule and our object
was set forth by the great Italian
Radical leader Mazzini, when he wrote.
No war of classes, no hostility to ex-
listing wealth, no wanton or unjust
violation of the rights OF porpertE. bur
a constant disposition to ameliorate
the condition of the classes least faE-
ored by fortune
THAT should be our aim, gentle-5
men, TO help better. not merely politi-
cally but industrially, the condition of
those least favored by fortune, and to
endeavor to make and to keep the
government Of this country genuinely
a government of, by and for the people
And because ! believe ia genuine popu
lar rule, / favor direct nominations. di
rect primaries including direct pre-
ferential Presidential primaries. not
only for local but for state delegates.
| believe in the adoption of wisely
chosen devices under Which the initia-
tive and referendum can be used not
as substitute for a representative
government but to make representa-
tive government genuinely representa-
tiEe. 10 see it corrected if it becomes
misrcpresentative And | wish TO say
p few words to you. today, specifically
on the propositions Of giving to the
people in the last resort the iuterpre-
tation of the constitution.
M position is simple. Il is that if
the people know enough to make the
constitution. they know enough IN the
last resort 10 say shat it was that they
meant when they made it. I wish To
call your attention to the entirely diff
ferent character Of the national and
the state constitutions In the Ma
tional Constitution, we deal with M
instrument designed to define the lin
its of power between the nation and
the several states. So that as regards
the National Constitution, there must
necessarily be somebody capable OF de
Gliding what those limits are, when we
come to discuss the relative claims Of
+ conflicting sovereignities which sover-
/ eign ID its own sphere. Yhe stale Con
stitution Of state has nothing
analogous to that about it, There Is
! no question in a state of any conflict
/ ing soVereignities. There ig only one
sovereignty of the people. You are not
the aogereigns. neither is the executive
neither is the Judiciary. All three OF
Soa possess powers delegated to you
/ h3 the people, but not parted with 10y
! the people and therefore. whereas ia
the national constitutional the execl-
| tive branch has no power save that
/ which IS expressly granted 70 It by the
constitution. under the state constitu-
ton the legislative body has all the
! power that is not forbidden il by the
constitution II is a fundamental diff
ference. viii speak of ours as a gov
ternment of division Of powers That is
true in SO far as we deal with the di-
vision among the representatives, Of
the people of the power delegated to
them by the people. but it is not true
| If by it we mean there is a division of
power between the people and the rep
lresentatiyes.
In the last resort the people after
due elaboration are to be and must be
masters and their representatives their
| servants. There is nothing ignobie in
any man fit to be a public servant