The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-03-01
ROOSEVELT LAyos The PEOPLE
Says the Common People Are Able to
Govern Themselves.

Standing in the assembly chamber
of the Massachusetts capitol Monday
at Boston, Theodore Roosevelt ex-
planned and emphasized his new pro
iect for the limited recall of judicial
decisions. After appearing in the
House he went to the Senate chamber
and spoke briefly. In both instances
he was received cordially, although
there was no prolonged applause dur
ing his speech. In addressing the
House, Col. Roosevelt said:
"Mr. Speaker: Gentlemen, 1t Is
great honor, which / deeply appreci-
ate, to be permitted to address this
legislative body, composed Of the rep
resentatives of that great historic
commonwealth which has ever stood
foremost in the unending battle for
liberty and right secured within the
law. And | know that you expect me
to speak to you today, telling you just
what think and believe.
I'VE of today, If we are worthy of
endeayoring to lead the people Alright,
must be doing our part to secure So
cial and industrial justice through
genuine popular rule, and our object
was set forth by the great Italian rad
ical leader, Mazzini, when he wrote:
No war of classes, no hostility to ex-
listing wealth, no wanton or unjust vi
olation of the rights Of property, but
constant disposition to ameliorate
the condition of the classes least fav-
ored by fortune
THAT should be our aim, gentlemen
to help better, not merely politically,
but industrially, the condition of
those least favored by fortune, and to
endeavor to make and to keep the
government of this country genuinely
government Of, by and for the peo-
pie. And because | believe in genu-
inc popular rule, favor direct nom
nations, direct primaries, including
direct preferential presidential pri-
maries, not only for local but for
state delegates. | believe in the adop
ton OF wisely-chosen devices under
which the initiative and referendum
can be used, not as a substitute for
representative government, but to
make representative government gen
timely representative and see II cor
rected II 1t becomes misrepresenta-
tive. And | wish to say few words
to you today specifically on the propo-
sition of giving to the people in the
last resort the Interpretation of the
constitution. =
my position is simple. 1t is that
If the people know enough to make
the constitution, they know enough in
the last resort to say what II was
that they meant when they made 1t.
| wish to call your attention to the en-
tirely different character OF the ma
tional and the state constitutions. In
the national constitution we deal with
an instrument designed to define the
limits Of power between the nation
and the several states. So that as re-
CARDS the national constitution there
must necessarily be somebody cap
able OF deciding what those limits
are, when we come to discuss the rel
alive claims OF conflicting sovereign
ties, each sovereign in its own sphere.
The state constitution of any state
has nothing analogous to that about
It, There is no question in state OF
any conflicting sovereignties. There
is only one sovereignty. the soyer-
eighty of the people.
you are not the sovereigns. Meth
er is the executive, neither is the jul
dietary All three of you possess
powers delegated to you by the PEG
pie, but not parted with by the peo-
Pile, and therefore, whereas in the ma
tional constitution the legislative
branch has no power save that which
is expressly granted to 1t by the con
stitution. under the state constitution
the legislative body has all the power
that is not forbidden ii by the consti-
tuition. II is a fundamental differ
ence | will speak of ours as gov
eminent of division Of powers. That
Is true in so far as We deal with the
division among the representatives OF
the people Of the power delegated to
them by the people, but 1t is not true
II by it we mean there is division OF
power between the people and the rep
resentatiyes
in the last resort the people. after
due elaboration, are to be and must
be the masters, and their representa-.
tiyes their servants. There is moth
ing ignoble In any man NJ to be
public servant avowing that he is
such 1t was Abraham Lincoln who,
in his first inaugural spoke OF his alb
solute responsibility to- use his
words-'his masters. the American
people
Nov, in the measure that | ad.
vocate, in the method Of securing a
proper Interpretation of the constitu-
ton which ! advocate, remember to
take what say, and not the headlines
in the newspapers purporting to tell
what | say. | am not advocating the
recall of judges. | am advocating
measure which. n adopted. will pre-
vent the necessity Of the recall OF
judges am not advocating the re-
call OF the judge; ! am advocating the
recall of legalsm to justice. And |
would like to ask you. whose memoir
les extend back rs months. to remem-
Der what was said is months ago by
the gentleman who criticized my crit.
icism of the decision Of Judge Bald
win as regards the workingman's
compensation law
The same people that are most vi
olent in denouncing the proposal |
have now made are those who at that
time were most violent In denounc.
ing my criticism of Judge Baldwin,
and who hailed with delight the pro-