Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-21
ROOSEVELT TAKES
ADVANCED GROUND

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tered, SO as to fit human rights. Lincoln
SO interpreted and administered the
national Constitution. Buchanan attempt
ed the reverse. attempted to fit human
rights to, and limit them by, the COnst1-
tuition. 1t was Buchanan who treated
the courts as a fetish, who protested
against and condemned all criticism Of
the judges for unjust and unrighteous
decisions, and upheld the Constitution as
an instrument for the protection Of privi-
lege and of vested wrong.
Lincoln Appealed Against the Judges
1T was Lincoln who appealed to the
people against the judges when the Judges
went wrong. who advocated and secured
what was practically the recall of the
bred Scott decision, and who treated the
Constitution as living force for right
eousness. We stand for applying the
constitution to the issues of today as
Lincoln applied 1t to the issues of his day;
Lincoln, mind you. and not Buchanan.
was the real upholder and preserver of
the Constitution, for the true progressive,
the progressive of the Lincoln stamp, is
the only true constitutionalist, the only
real conservative. The object of every
American Constitution worth calling such
must be what 1t Is set forth to be in the
preamble to the national Constitution,
TO establish justice'-that is, to secure
Justice as between man and man by
means OF genuine popular self-govern-
ment. II the Constitution is successfully
invoked to nullify the effort to remedy
injustice, 1t is proof positive either that
the Constitution needs immediate amend
ment or else that 1t is being wrongfully
ana improperly construed. I therefore
very earnestly ask you clearly to provide
in this Constitution means which viii en-
able the people readily to amend it if at
any point 1t works Injustice and also
means which will permit the people Them
selves by popular vote. after due delibera-
o sion and discussion. but finally and with
out appeal, to settle what the proper con-
struction Of any constitutional point is
Power Belongs to the People.
1T is often said that ours is a govern
ment Of checks and balances. But this
should only mean that these checks and
balances obtain as among the several
different kinds Of representatives of the
people-tudicial, executive and legislative
to whom the people have delegated GER
tain portions of their power. 1t does not
mean that the people have parted with
tnelr power or cannot resume 1t. The
division OF powers is merely the division
among the representatives of the powers
delegated to them; the term must not be
held to mean that the people have divid-
ed their power with their delegates The
power Is the peoples, and only the peo-
pes. 1T Is right and proper that pro-
vision should be made rendering it neces-
sary for the people to take ample time to
make up their minds on any point; but
there should also be complete provision
TO nave their decision put into immediate
ana nving enect when 1t has thus been
deliberately and definitely reached"
Policy Regarding Big Business.
OF what he termed Big business" Col.
Roosevelt had this to say:
The antitrust law does good in so far
as 1t can be invoked against combina
tons which really are monopolies, or
which restrict production, or which arti-
hcially raise prices. But in so far as
Its workings are uncertain, or as it
threatens corporations which have not
been guilty of anti-social conduct, it does
harm. There should be fixed govern
mental policy which shall clearly define
and punish wrOngdoing and give in ad-
vance full information to any man as to
just what he can and just what he can
not legally and properly do
AS to the fitness of the American people
for self-government, Col. Roosevelt said:
Many eminent lawyers believe that
the American people are not fitted for
popular government. and that 1t Is nee
essary to keep the judiciary independent
Of the majority Of the people take alb
a position
n r. l,,l-
THE question is one of expediency
merely. Each community has the right
to try the experiment for itself in what
ever shape 1t pleases. 1 do not believe in
adopting the recall save as a last resort.
when it has become clearly evident that
no other course will achieve the desired
result"
Senator La Toilette was mentioned but
once, as follows:
Following Senator La Toilette. a num-
Der of practical workers and thinkers In
Wisconsin have turned that state into
an experimental laboratory of wise gov
ernmental action in aid Of social and in
dustrial justice. They have initiated that
kind Of progressive government which
means not only the preservation of true
democracy, but the extension of the prtn-
ciple Of true democracy into industrialism
as well as into politics"
Duty of Leaders.
Col. Roosevelt then went on to say:
81 hold 1T to be the duty Of every
public servant, and of every man who
in public or in private life holds a po-
sition Of leadership in thought or ac-
ton, to endeavor honestly and fear
lessly to guide his fellow-countrymen
to right decisions; but I emphatically
dissent from the view that 1t is either
wise or necessary to try to devise meth
DDS which under the Constitution will
automatically prevent the people from de-
Gliding for themselves what governmental
action they deem just and proper.
1T is impossible to invent constitutional
will from being effective for wrong
without also preventing 1t from being eff
fective for right. The only safe course
to follow in this great American democ-
racy is to provide for making the popular
Judgment really effective. But 1t is a
false constitutionalisn. false states
manship, to endeavor by the exercise OF
q perverted ingenuity to seem to give
the people full ., power ~; ana "a at the same
Yet this is precisely what Is done In
every case where the state permits Its
repr esentatives, whether on the bench or
in the legislature or In executive once,
to declare that 1t has not the power TO
right grave social wrongs, or that any
of the officers created by the people, and
rightfully the servants of the people. can
set themselves up to be masters or the
people Constitution makers should max 9
Il clear beyond shadow Of doubt that
the people i'm their legislative capacity have
tha nower re- enact into law any meas