The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1912-03-21
ROOSEVELT MAKES
REDHOT REPLY TO
PRESIDENT TAFT
Takes Issue With Him
on Popular Gov
ernrnert
AN OLD DOCTRINE
He Says This is What Special
Privilege Has Long
Advocated

New York City-Following the
speech in Carnegie Hall last night,
in which Col. Roosevelt declared
Taft to be "fossilized," the rough
rider today made plane for a speak
ing tour through the middle west,
in which personalities will be
prominent. He will leave Tuesday
for Chicago, then go to Kansas City,
ST Paul and Minneapolis and east
to Detroit
Col Roosevelt announced that he
had accepted an invitation to adj
dress the Million Population Club at
st. Louis March %. Next Saturday
night he will speak at Portland, Me.
New York City.-In the first
speech of his campaign for the pres
idential Nomination, Colonel Roose-
Welt last night contrasted his posi-
ton with that taken by President
Taft. The real issue, he said, was
whether the American people should
govern themselves.
Colonel Roosevelt's speech was
delivered before a crowd which fill
sons wanted to hear him that an
overflow meeting was held in q
smaller hall within the same build
ing. The streets in front of the
hall contained throng of persons
who We're unable to gain admission
to either meeting. Colonel Roose-
welt was received with marked en-
thusiasm.
President Taft's recent speech al
Toledo was referred to several
times by Colonel Roosevelt, who
devoted large part of his remarks
to a reply to the president.
Mr. Roosevelt said in part:
Mr. Taft, again and again, in quo
tations | have given and elsewhere
through his speech, expresses his
disbelief in the people when they
vote at the polls. In one sentence
he says that the proposition gives
powerful effect to the momentar,
impulse of a majority of an electo
rate and prepares the way for the
possible exercise of the grossest ty
ranny' Elsewhere he speaks of the
'feverish uncertainty and unstable
determination of laws by temper
airy and changing majorities. ant
again he says that the system
propose would result in suspension
or application of constitutional guar
antees according to popular whim,
which wouV destroy ALL possible
consistency in constitutional inter
probation. / should much like t.
know the exact distinction that i
to be made between what Mr.. Taf
calls the fifth impulse of a tempo
rary majority when applied to
question such as that / raise and an,
other question. Remember that un
der my proposal to review a rule o
decision by popular vote, amendin
or constituting, to that extent tn
constitution, would certainly take a
least two years from the time of tn
election of the legislature which pass
ed the act. Now, only four month
elapse between the nomination an
election of a man as president,
fill for four years the most impor
ant office in the land. In one {
Mr. Tafts speeches he speaks of 'th
voice of the people as coming ne,
to the voice of God. APPARENT.
then the decision of the peep
about the presidency after fol
months deliberation, is to be trea
ed as next to the voice of Cod b,
if after two years of sober though
they decide that women and chill
or men protected from eXcessi'
hours OF labor under unhygenic CO
ditions, or wage-workers compensa
ed when they lose life or limb in II
service of others, than their decisic
forthwith become a 'whim' and 'fe
ersh and unstable and an exc
else of the grossest tyranny al
the laying of the axe to the foot
the tree of freedom
MIR. Tafts position is perfect
clear. 1t is that we have in tt
country a special class of perso
wiser than the people, who are abo
the people, who cannot be reach
by the people, but who govern the