The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-03-10

abiding compliment that can be pnsd
tho American people is to point to the
fact that In the Constitution which
they framed and havo maintained they
have recognized the danger of party
action by themselves and have, in it's
checks and balances, voluntarily main
,, tanned protection against it. The
| truth IS that in this latter century
we have INDICATED popular govern
ment IN L way It has never been vim
| dicated before. We have taken from
all tho countries OF the world those
who would como to US seeking better
| conditions, seeking freedom and pros
perity.
| Truss the People.
Distrust of popular government
| The pride that 1 have that this is a
| popular government and that it has
shown itself the strongest in history,
| Is az dcely imbedded as any feeling
! that IS in me. ] would be tho last man
to exclude from the direction of tho
| ship OF state the Will OF the American
people.
THAT is the ultimate source OF au-
thority, and II does not in any way
, minimize my faith and my love OF
popular government that I Insist that
! the expression of the popular will shall
| be with the elaboration to make It safe
and sound.
] Il fully and freely admit and assert
that when the American people have
| had time to learn all tho facts and
| have had time to consider their bear
| Ing. their deliberate Juds ment is e wis
CT and better guido to be followed by
tho State than the Judgment of the
| most experienced statesman, tho most
learned jurist, the most profound stu
dent of history. In this proper sense
the voice of the eople Is nearer to tho
voice of God than any other human de-
| clsion."
Then the President proceeded to give
his Ideas OF what a progressive should
/ be.
Having thus defined what progress
sive means" he continued, my next
proposition is paraphrase of tho old
maxim, handsome is az handsome
does An administration which has
/ been successfully progressive In deeds
Is entitled to the approval Of the peo-
pie. The present Republican administra-
! ton. In what 1t has accomplished In
| legislative and executive action, is in
a position to point to many real steps
! of progress, both in the way of avoid
| ing unnecessary disturbances of bust
ness, in tho way of regulating the use
OF corporate capital and privilege and
| preventing Its abuses, and in tho pre-
scrVation of the public of what belongs
| to IT., as well as ameliorating tho legal
! statutes of certain classes of the peo-
pie and in increasing The functions of
the government for the benefit OF the
, whole people"
! To show this. the President reviewed
at length the achievements of the Taft
administration. lie discussed the tariff
| defending the administra tons atti-
tude; reviewed the progress in rail-
road and antitrust legislation, and re-
newed his recommendation for Fed
eral incorporation net lie urged leEis
intion to force the provision OF rail-
road safety appliances. and recommend.
ell workmen's compensation and en-
ployers' liability acts now pending He
pointed out that the administration has
followed out tho line of conservation
legislation recommended by his prcde-
cessor Discussing the judiciary, the
president renewed his recommended
lions OF his Toledo speech last night
for an independent tribunal to try
judges on charges.
Discussing Roosevelt's proposed re-
call of judicial decisions the President
said: 1T proposes in effect to permit
. the changing majority OF tho electorate
ut recurring elections. now to suspend,
and now to affirm. constitutional re.
strictions and to bring about a sys.
tom of government by such Instances
In which the Constitution can be ap-
rlied when tho people desire II. and
shall be withheld In IT'S application
when they find temporary reasons for
Its being withheld. Such government
would lack uniformity of law. which
is essential TO justice. and would pro-
duce that confusion and those excep-
tions in tho application OF law which
are the beginnings and manifestations
of despotism."