Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1912-04-12
Progressive Policies Laid Down
by Colonel Roosevelt.


Our aim is to secure the real and not
the nominal rule of the people.
We propose to do away with what
ever in our government tends to secure
privilege,
We believe in securing for the people
the direct election of United States
Senators.
We believe in securing for the people
the right of nominating candidates for
office, from the President down, by
direct primaries.
We believe in securing for the people
the exercise of real and not merely a
nominal control over their represen-
tatives in office.
Our object is to give the people con-
troll and to have the people exercise this
control in the spirit of the broadcast
sympathy and broadcast desire to secure
social and industrial justice for every
man and woman.
We stand for the adequate control of
all big business and especially of all
monopolistic big business where it
proves unwise or impossible to break
down the monopoly
Prosperity can only permanently come
to this country on a basis of honesty
and of fair treatment for ALL
Washington, April 6, (SpeciaD The
keynote of the progressive campaign in
1912 was sounded by Col. Roosevelt in
his Louisville, KY, speech on April 3.
At that time Col Roosevelt made plain
the issues which the voters of the
country are called upon to decide at the
polls; made plain that there can be no
middle ground between the rule of the
people; the rights of the many against
special privilege; right against wrong
and honesty against dishonesty.
At the outset Col. Roosevelt shat
tered the claims of Mr.. Taft to be
called progressive, showing that Mr.
Taft has failed to carry out the policies
to which he pledged himself before he
entered the White House; that he has
been won over to the side of Especial
privilege" and allowed the reaction
aries who fought him three years ago
to dominate his administration.
In one of Col. Roosevelt's own sem
fences may be summed up his stand in
the present fight. He said:
1--WE who stand for the cause of pro-
gress, for the cause of the uplift of
humanity and for the betterment of
mankind, are pledged to eternal war
against tyranny and ring, by the few or
many, by plutocracy or by mob. -
Col. Roosevelt stated that the nation
is facing one of the greatest crisis in
its history. He declared that victory
for the progressives means the placing
of human life above the dollar, the
government control of "big business, -
the conservation of natural resources,
and the restoration of power to the
people themselves. Victory for the
reactionaries, headed by Mr.. Taft,
however, he stated, means the cOntro
of the government and the courts ir
the interest of "big business" and q
return to that condition when CONNER.
cial corruption in league with politica
allies, seized the most valuable of the
country's properties.
While severely arragning Mr.. Taf
for his dilatory tactics, Col Roosevelt
was sufficiently charitable not to charge
him with anything more than timiditN
and lack of comprehension.
Every man who, directly or indirect
ly, upholds privilege and favors tn,
special interests, whether he acts from
evil motives or merely because he il
puzzle-headed or dull of mental vision
or lacking in social sympathy, o.
whether he simply lacks interest in the
subject; isl reactionary.
1.-THE man is reactionary, whatever
may be his professions, and no matte
how excellent his intentions, who op
poses these movements, or who if in {
high place, takes no interest in then
and does not earnestly help them for
ward.