New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-03-29
ROOSEVELT DENIES
THREATENING TO BOLT
"Anything That | Do Not Say
Myself Is a Fake" He
Declares.
FIVE SPEECHES IN ST. LOUIS
States His Case to Missourians,
Repeating Views on Right
of the People to
Rule.

Missouri He made five speeches in this
city and another in East St Louis, in
which he explained his political doctrines.
The streets were drenched with rain. but
he found crowd awaiting him at the sta
ton. and wherever he spoke large audi
erces applauded him.
report. which appeared from several
quarters, to the effect that Colonel RoOse-
Welt had intimated that he might bolt the
Chicago convention in case he should not
be nominated prompted him 10 issue two
statements. IN which he characterized the
rtport as "a fake" Through his secretary
he said:
Any statement like that is a fake. Any
time ! have anything 10 say on such a
subject will say it myself and anything
purportng to come from me, unless l say
It myself. is a fake
He vas told that he was quoted as hav-
INK said in Chicago that Republicans were
not hound 10 respect nominations secured
by "thuggery." in this case referring to
the nominations of the Chicago convention.
There was no allusion to the Chicago
convention" ne said. The illusions were
specifically TO what had been done in New
York Indianapolis and Denver. No such
sentence as that including the word thug
gery was used. What l stated was that
such conventions as those in New York
Indianapolis and Denver were IN no way
representative or binding on Republicans
stand on what I SAID"
Any story that does not come from mo
ls a fake" Colonel Roosevelt said again
when told Of a report that the managers Of
7 boJ oh
tanned an option on a hall in Chicago to
hold boiling convention, II necessary.
Alexander H. Revell. president OF the
league, also denied this report.
In addition to making six speeches, Colo
Cel Roosevelt attended a breakfast. a
luncheon and a dinner, sent a message to
the Illinois Senate. covered a large part of
tho city by automobile and found oppor-
tGn,ty 10 discuss the political situation with
the leaders of the Roosevelt campaign in
Missouri He spoke briefly at the dinner
given IN his honor b. the Million Popula-
uCr Club.
Right Of People to Rule"
Colonel RooseveIts main speech was de-
hyered tonight in the lst Regiment armory,
OF the Right OF the People 10 Rule" He
sad.
When ! say that J believe not only in the
rgnt Of the people TO rule, but in their duty
70 rule themselves and 10 refuse TO submit
10 beng ruled by others, | am not using a
rEIre OF speech; I am speaking of a vital
issue which fundamentally affects our
whole American life. ] not merely admit,
bu' INSIST. that IN all government, and espe-
C.sIly IN popular government there must be
control, and Furthermore. that IL control
GOES not come from within IL must come
IherefOrN q
any people which engages in the difficult
experiment. Of government should he
Su.e 10 practise self-Control There are peo-
pcs IN the world which have proved by
'0"r lamcntahle experiences that they are
rot capable Of this self-Control; but con-
tend that the American people most en-
pEatiCally are capable Of 1t.
hold that IN the long run, taken as
whole. our people can and viii govern them
selves a great deal better than any sma u
st OF men can govern them. The attempt
has recently been made 10 improve on
Abraham Lincoln statement that this is
2 government Of the people, for the people,
by the people As a substitute therefor 1t
8, proposed that this government shall
hereafter he government OF the people,
FOR the people, by d representative part OF
'n@ people IL Is always dangerous mat
Tor 10 Try 10 improve on Lincoln when we
deal with the rights and duties Of the peO-
pie, and this particular attempt at improve
maDt IS not d happy one. In substance IT
Of course means nothing except that this is
20 be 4 government Of the whole people by
a part Of the people. We have had such
government in various parts of this Union
rom Tune 10 time, and stripped of verbiage
s. simply means government Of the people
ny the bosses, A government Of the whole
people against Instead Of for the interest Of
an" whole people by part OF the people
which does the bidding OF the holders Of po-
u'oal and financial privilege.
Now, l want each OF you TO consider this
governmental proposition from his own In
GIydual standpoint. our contention is that
.u-l as each Individual wishes and ought to
wish. 10 rule his own life for himself 50
al individuals taken together, that is,
tine people, must wish themselves TO rule
their collective life and not 10 be ruled by
others. Each Of US here wants to lead his
own life himself. Is not that true OF each
o. YOU II certainly Is true OF me, ana II
] found il was not true of any Of my sons
] would feel like disinheritng them. ] want
TO lead my own life for myself and not 10
haze any one else lead IL FOR me or boss
NJ Do leading IL, and each OF you no are
.r uy class. the parent class, you mothers
s'd fathers, want to feel that way about
your bows as they grow up. After the boy
has gone out into the big world, II he IS
worth his salt he will want 10 boss the JOB
y leading his own life himself, and II you
irI that he wishes he had guardian or
petds a guardian YOU wont think mucn or
h''~ This does not mean that none OF US
vi make mistakes. on the contrary, each
q VI viii sometimes make mistakes. You
WI make them I viii make them. But
ny win he my own mistakes and not
sorehoGr else's, and ] Will know that they
IRE mistakes and Will cure them myself,
whereas IL somebody else was making them
f0~ me maybe he and ! would not agree as
IN what were mistakes and what were not,
and IN that case lie could not cure them
Want to Rule Ourselves.
vsr ., is jus, the same way about the
C'oN.a as q whole. All OF us, you and !,
an of US together. want 10 rule ourselves.
and We don't wish 70 have any body OF out
S.gers rule us That is what free govern
u - NJ
selves then they are not m for free gov
Comment. and all talk about democracy Is
sham. ! DO NOT for moment mean that
"e fHo people VIII not occasionally make
mistakes. but after al .hcE VIII he our mis-
th's and not somebody elsc's and we can
'..e 'Hrm ourselves, whereas II other people
'..' over las. under whatever form. even If
'''E ave entirely disiutcTcsted. they may
make what We regard as very bad mis-
'ercS. md Yet II they do not think thom
S.rn 70" cannot make them change. ana
MS &c aside from the fact that IN actual
.fs .orc ODD tho United States experience
has shown that the effort 10 substitute for
na genuine rule Of IA" people something
else always means the rulc OF privilege IN
some form or other. sometimes political
often 81 mixture Of both.
Whenever there is tyranny by the ma
Jcrty I shall certainly fiuht it. But the
trannles from which we have been suf-
terlng in this country have, ninety nine
times out Of 4 hundred. been tyrannies
oy minority; that is, tyranny by PRIV
ege. Sometimes, as in the case OF some
public Utility franchise or other bit OF
crspblng by few Of what belongs 10 the
many the tyranny is primarily COM
mercral; at other times it is primarily
political.
This for instance. is tive just at the present
gay d, those states whore mo people have
,e'n denied the right 10 vote at primaries
- "racr 10 express their preferences for
e Il l.