Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-08-07
THE COLONEL'S ADDRESS.

the states rights doctrine of the Dems-
ocratic party cripples and forecloses
any real or genuine relief to the peo-
! pie. 1t reduces their promises to hope
, less and empty phrases. The mission
and spirit of this Progressive move
ment will thrill the Republic from end
to end.
The Right of the People to Rule.
THE actions of the Chicago Con-
vention. and to an only less degree OF
the Baltimore Convention, have shown
in striking fashion how little the peo..
pie do rule under our present condi-
TONS" In order to assure this popu
lar rule, Mr.. Roosevelt urged = the
adoption of Presidential primaries,
popular election Of Senators, the short
ballot, an efficient corrupt practices
act. qualified use of the initiative, ref =
erendum, and recall. The recall should
be applied to administrative officers.
4ir. Roosevelt asserts that the aaop-
ton Of these new methods of political
administration is not antagonistjc to-
representative government. "All / de-
sire 10 do by securing More direct con-
troll of the governmental agents and
representatives OF the people is 10 give
the people the chance to make their
representatives really represent them
whenever the Government becomes
misrepresentation instead OF represen-
tative. ! have not come TO this way OF
thinking from closet study. or as a
mere matter of theory; | have been
forced to it by a long experience with
the actual conditions of our political
life
The Courts and the People.
Under this head MIR Roosevelt
strongly emphasizes the necessity of
the sovereign people preserving check
on every branch Of public service.
Under this head Mr.. Roosevelt rAeiter-
ates' his now weil-iznown views re-
gsrding the ceurtss ~Tle american
people. and not the courts are TO de-
termine their own fundamental poll
cies. : This does not mean that the jleo-
pie are to Interfere III cases which in
volve merely questions of justice be-
tween individuals except that means
should be devised for making lit easier
than at present to get rid of an in
competent judge" But when judicial
decision involves an Interpretation o,
what the people mean by the consti-
tutions which they have framed and
laws passed by the people are nulfified
because the courts say those laws are
contrary TO the peoples will as ex
pressed IN their Constitution, there
must be a reference to the people of
the public effect of such decisions under
forms securing full deliberations t.
the end that the people may rectify
this alleged defect in their Constitution
by popular vote having all the force
of Constitutional amendment. "Ous
purpose is not to impugn the courts.
but TO einancipate them from
position whenever they stand final
~ in the way of social justice.
/ am well aware that every uphoIder
of privilege, every hired agent or
beneficiary of the special interests
including many well-meaning parlor
reformers, viii denounce all those
as Socialism or anarchy-the same
terms they used in the past in
denouncing the movements to con-
troll the railways and to control pub
lie utilities. AS matter of fact. the
propositions | make constitute neither
anarchy nor Socialism, but, on the
contrary corrective for Socialism,
and an antidote to anarchy
Constructive Control of the Trusts.
In addition TO Punishment for wrong
doing by the trusts, the imperative de-
mand is effective and complete regula-
ton. The views of President Van Hfse.
of the University of Wisconsin. in his
scientific work On trust regulation are
IN harmony with the programme of the
National Progressives 1.-THE present
conditions of business cannot be ac-
cepted as satisfactory. The reason
for this is explained. in Mr.. Roosevelt'si
opinion. by tile fact that those deal
ing with the subject have attempted to
divide into two camps, each as unwise
as the other" One camp has fixed its
attention only on the need for prosper
ity-% prosperity to the big men on top.
trusting to their mercy to let some
thing leak through to the mass of their
countrymen below, which. in effect,
means that there should be no attempt
to regulate the ferocious scramble in
which greed and cunning reap the
largest rewards." re other camp has
SC fixed its attention upon the injus-
tees OF The disirsbtstion of prosperity,
emitting al consideration of having
something to tlistfs 0ute and advocates
action which. IL Is true, would abolish
most of the inequalities OF the distribu-
ton of prosperity, by only the unfor-
tunately staple process of abolishing
the prosperity ITSELF The tendency of
those now in control of the Republic
can party is to give special privileges
to big business and to correct the
evils of such course when they be-
come CRYING, by sporadic lawsuits un-
der the Antitrust Law. The tendency
of the Democrats, judged both by
their record in Congress and by the
Democratic platform. is to abolish all
business of any size or efficiency, on
the ground that all bigness is badness.
and littleness and weakness a sign of
virtue. What is needed is action di-
rectly the reverse of that thus confus-
edIy Indicated. There should be APP
piled to all industrial concerns engaged
in interests commerce in which there
is either monopoly or control Of the
market the principles already adopted
"insregulating transportation concerns
engaged in such commerce. The AM
ti-TruSt Law should be kent on the