The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1912-04-25

and creates new institutions for our
day and generation. L. there. l ask
in America . better exponent Of pro
gressive Republication than President
Taft?
The issue. then. IL very simple. Shall
the Chicago convention in its plat.
form renounce progressive Republican
ism and declare its adhesion to radical
ism? II so. President Taft would not
be the proper candidate. And 1t 10
altogether improbable that he would
accept the nomination. But II the
platform Of principles adopted by the
Chicago convention is in harmony with
the Republicanism of the past and is
hospitable to evolutionary and progress
sive development in response to the
best aspirations, the soundest ideas
and the wisest policies Of the present.
the party has man foreordained to
be its candidate, and that man, OF
course, is President Taft.
In my opinion, radicalism will not
prevail in the Chicago convention. And
for that reason. along with the third
term difficulty and the solemn pledge
Of 1904, do not expect to see Mr..
Roosevelt nominated. His radicalism
has alarmed the country too greatly.
The so-called new nationalism" pro
promulgated in his Osawatomie speech
Of 1910 was scheme Of highly cent
rallied government, in which States
rights were menaced, and Congress and
courts subordinated to the Chief Elk
ecutive, who alone was regarded "as
the steward of public welfare. while
business was put under the interdict
that no man could make money unless
| it could be demonstrated (of course to
government inspectors) that his pros
perity was a benefit to other people.
Obviously new nationalism'' meant
Caesarism in government and bank
ruptcy in business. The voters of
New York, to whom Mr.. Roosevelt COM
mended it in 1910. responded with a
Democratic victory, Republicans in
great numbers staying at home or vot-
ing the Democratic ticket. (The Re
publican gubernational candidate re-
ceived in 1910 only $4,000 votes, as
compared with $4,000 in 1908.)
The country had not recovered
from the shock Of the radical program
Of new nationalism' when Mr..
Roosevelt launched still more radical
proposal The history Of civilization
shows that when the courts are subor-
dinated to the sovereign-whether the
sovereign be a monarch or the people
in their entirety--justice disappears
from states and the rights Of in
dividuals and minorities are trampled
under foot. The independence Of the
judiciary is the first principle Of free
government. Mr.. Roosevelt now pro-
poses to have court decisions reversed
by popular vote. This is net only
radicalism, it is revolutionary radical
ism And it has given painful shock
to millions Of citizens and alienated
hosts Of Republicans who formerly vot-
ed for Mr.. Roosevelt, The meaning
and consequences Of this proposal
which is at once revolutionary and re-
dictionary, have been admirably dis
cussed by President Taft in his re-
cent speech at Toledo-a speech that
covers the whole ground with great
ability, with irresistible, convincing
|
animation. 1t is safe to say that il
anything else had been needed to se-
cure President Ta't's denomination for
the Presidency, it has been furnished
by Mr.. Roosevelt's attack on the in
dependence Of the judiciary.