The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1912-03-29
LET PEOPLE RULE,
SAYS ROOSEVELT

Tho salient passages in Colonel
Roosevelt's forcsful campaign speech,
delivered in Carnegie Hall. New York.
Wednesday evening. II given below:
The great fundamental Issue now
before the republican party and be-
fore our people can be stated briefly.
1t is, are the American people At to
govern themselves. to rule them
selves. to control themselves?
believe they are. My opponents
do not. ! believe in the right Of the
people to rule. believe that the ma
Jority OF the plain people In the Unit
ed States will, do, day in and day
out. make fewer mistakes in govern
Ing themselves than any similar class
or body OF men. NO matter what their
training, will make in trying to govern
them. believe again that the Amer
lean people as whole. are capable Of
self control and Of learning by their
mistakes. Our opponents pay lip 10y
atty to this doctrine, but they show
their real beliefs by the way in which
they champion every device to make
the nominal rule Of the people sham.
have scant patience with this talk
Of the tyranny Of the majority. When
ever there Is tyranny of the majority
l shall protest against 1t with all my
heart and soul. But we are today
suffering from the tyranny of the mi.
norities. 1t 10 . small minority that
10 grabbing our coal deposits, our
water powers and our harbor fronts.
A small minority Is fattening on the
sale OF adulterated foods and drugs.
1t is small minority that lies behind
monopolies and trusts. 1t is a small
minority that stands behind the pres
ent law of master and servant, the
sweatshops and the whole calendar Of
social and industrial injustice. 1t Ia
a small minority that is today using
our convention system to defeat the
I will Of majority Of the people in the
choice Of delegates to the Chicago
convention.
My opponents charge that two
things in my program are wrong be.
cause they intrude into the sanctuary
Of the judiciary.
The frst is the recall of judges and
the second the review by the people
| of judicial decisions on certain excep-
tional questions. have said again
and again that do not advocate the
recall of judges In all states and in all
communities. The integrity Of our
| judges, from Marshall to White and
Holmes-and to Cullen and many 9th
ers in our state-is q fine page of
| American history. Butt say 1t 30.
berly-democracy has right to ap-
proach the sanctuary of the courts
d, when a special interest has corruptly
found sanctuary, and this is exactly
what has happened In some of the
states where the recall of the judges
is living issue. Is 1t not equal. '
plain that the question whether q CIV.
en- social policy IL for the public good
Is not of judicial nature, but should
be settled by the legislature or In the
Anal instance. by the people them.
selves?
The president Of the United States.
Mr.. Taft. devoted most Of a recent
speech to criticize some of this prop
osition. He says that ''it Is utterly
without merit d utility and. instead
Of being in tho interest Of all tho pee
pie and Of the stability Of popular
government. is sowing the seeds OF
confusion and tyranny" BY this he
Of course ,neant the tyranny Of the
majority-tnat ID the tyranny of the
American people rs . whole.
He also says that my proposal
| f-,AS~h - - ~i~htly uooo ia orA1v
proposal to give the people -e:!
instead Of only = nominal chance to
construe and amend state legislation
with reasonable rapidity) would make
such amendment and Interpretation
depend on the feverish, uncertain
and unstable determinations Of sue
cessivs votes on different laws by
temporary and changing majorities.'
and that 1T lays the axe at the foot
Of the tree Of we'll ordered freedom
and subjects the guarantees Of lite
liberty and prosperity without remedy
to tho fltful Impulse Of . temporar.
majority Of an electorate"
This criticism IL really less . crit
icism of my proposal than q criticism
Of all popular government. 1t Ii Who'll
ly unfounded. unless 1t IL founded on
tho belief that the people arc funda
mentally untrustworthy. This 10 ths
question that I propose to submit tf
the people. Hew can the prevailing
morality or . preponderant opinion
be better and more exactly ascsr
tained than By . vote Of the people?
The people must know better thar
the court what their own morality an
their own opinion IL. l ask that Jot
tsre, you and others like you, you. th'
4eople, be given the chance to sta
your own views Of Justice and :::h!'e
morality and not cit meekly BY ant
have your views announced for yo'
by we'll meaning adherents Of outwo.'
philosophers, who exalt the pedantr'
. OF formulas above the vital needs .
human life.
Mr.. Taft's position 10 the positio1
that has hesn held from the beginnin;
Of our government, although not al
ways 20 or cnly held. by large mum
I ber Of rep table sad honorable mel
CONTINUED ON LAST PAGE.)