Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1912-02-27
SCORCHER FOR
ROOSEVELT.
Rayner Attacks Ex.Presi-
dents Unique Conception
of Judiciary
MOST DANGEROUS DOCTRINE
Ex-Governor Gillette of Califor-
MIA Denounces 1t AS a
Crazy Idea.

! (By Special Leased Wire to New MeXican)
! Washington, D. c., Feb. 27.-Rever-
sal of judicial decisions by popular
vote, as proposed by ex-President
! Roosevelt in his Columbus address
! last week, was denounced in the SEN
ate today by Senator Rayner of Mary
land as the most dangerous doctrine
ever brought forward by any one who
has the slightest regard for the sta
bility of our institutions and whose
opinion is entitled to any weight, or
respect"
Senator Rayner declared that in
discussing the eX-President who again
/ is candidate for the Republican nom-
| ination for President, he did not
speak as a partisan. because he believ-
ed of all the Republicans Roosevelt
would be easiest to defeat.
| What | desire to call attention to
! today, said the Senator, ''is a unique
and original conception which he ad-
vanced upon this occasion and which
quote literally as follows: The de-
cision of a state court on a consttu-
tional question should be subject to
revision by the people of the state. u,
IF any considerable number of the
people feel that the decision is in de-
tiance of justice, they should be given
the right by petition to bring before
! the voters at some subsequent cleo
/ ton, special or otherwise as might be
decided and after the fullest oppor-
question whether or not the judges
/ Interpretation of the constitution is
to be sustained. If it is sustained,
well and good. If not, then the pop
ular verdict is to be accepted as
final, the decision is to be treated as
reversed and the construction of the
constitution definitely decided-sub-
iect only to action by the supreme
court of the United States
i Mr.. President, if proposition of
, this sort had been advanced by an
ordinary agitator or by an anarchist
no attention would be paid to it; the
people would understand it was utter
: ly meaningless, and it would involve
no actual danger to the republic.
People who regard this merely as
Il fippant and impulsive utterance OF
a candidate for public Office who is
trying to attract public favor are max
ing a great mistake. In my judgment
The ex-President has been rejecting
over this proposition for years. He
has always been hostile to the deci
sions of the courts whenever they
conHicted with his own views and he
has over and over again given ex
ipression to his opposition to them.
He is possessed with mad fancy
: and this is and ought to be an exec
Gtive government, that the powers o
tie executive ought to override those
of Il e legislative and judicial branch
es of the public service.
, BY all the patronage and all The
power that he can command, he WCulC
practically force upon the country al
interpretation of our organic law Jha
l will level its definitions and obliteratt
its checks and balances. He will the1
! in the pursuit of his own Unsuitable
ambition possess a degree of auto
cratic power that no president of these
} United States has ever attained o1
, would ever have dared to exercise
evcep pit at the risk of impeachment