The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-03-11
COLON.L WRITES
HARSH LANGUAGE
ABOUT OPPONENTS
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system 50 cumbrous, 70 involved.
as to make 1t impossible to get
fair expression OF public sentiment
and very difficult to get any express
sion of public sentiment at all The
present primary law in New York Is
admirably adapted to achieve its pur-
pose: for its purpose Is to prevent
the people from controlling party or
CARNATIONS, or having their say in
party nominations, and TO preserve
such control and such domination
purely for the class Of professional
politicians.
Not Too Late.
ut Is idle TO say that ii is too late
to make the change we ask. Our OPP
ponents are themselves to blame for
the fact that the demand has not been
sooner granted. For a long time-for
eighteen months in the State OF New
York. for instance-every progressive,
every friend Of really popular govern
ment, has been demanding system
of genuine direct primaries.
Wherever We have failed to get
this system. such failure Is due to the
action of the reactionarr whose one
i'm is to prevent the people from con-
trolling party organizations. to which
the people. and do not believe in their
rights to rule. And now these men.
who have thus prevented the people
from getting direct primaries. demand
that they be allowed to remain the
beneficiaries Of their own wrong. and
ask to be excused from granting the
demand for direct primaries now just
because they have contemptuousty re-
fused to grant that demand in the
past.
Against All Privilege.
There never was straishter fight
waged for the principe of popular rule
than that which we are now waging.
We are fighting against intrenched
privilege. both political privilege and
financial privilege. We believe that II
given fair chance the people Will de-
clare against both political and finan
cial privilege. Therefore. we demand
that they be given that fair chance.
IF the people decide against us. we
will bow cheerfully to the decision.
confident that they will in the end see
that the cause for which we fight is
indeed the cause of human rights and
human welfare. But we very emphat-
ically object. here in this democracy
and within the confines of the party,
which claims Abraham Lincoln as its
national founder, to having the issue
decided against us not by the people,
but by the spoils politicians and pa
tronage nongers who are engaged in
defrauding the American people out of
their first and most elemental right
the sht-to -scif-government.
Sincerely yours.
(Signed) THEODORE ROOSEVELT
Hon. Joseph NJ. Dix.
Senator OF the United States WASH
ington. d. C..
: President sTaft.s ytGoraus 5asserIion
In his Chicago speech that he is q real
progressive Is to be met shortly by
some expression OF facts about those
progressive measures that have passed
during the Taft administration.
The progressives in Congress have
long alleged that they, not the Presf-
dent, have been responsible for ac-
complishing whatever OF useful con-
struction has marked this administra-
ton. They are getting ready, through
some of the Roosevelt State organi-
zations throughout the country. to pre-
sent an analysis of the whole legisla-
tive record OF the last three years.
Emphasis especially will be placed on
the railroad, tariff. reciprocity and in
come tax record OF the administration.
What They viii Show.
1t will be shown:
That President Taft opened his adj
ministration By using the patronage
power to the utmost to compel the
selection of Cannon as speaker.
That hte Cannon machine plus the
White House, was not strong enough
TO save the day. and 80 the Cannon
managers summond Tammany ana
the Eastern brewing interests to their
aid.
That Cannon and the old Cannon