The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-11-24
TIMES CHANGE
Men Must Change With Them,
Says Col. Roosevelt
In an Address ut the University
Of Chile.
THE DEAD HAND OF THE PAST
Should Not Deter Us From Path
Of Reform.

= Of Reform.
judiciary Most Powerful Ally Of
Reaction, He Says.
Santiago, Chile, Nov. z4-Theodore
Roosevelt addressed here one Of the
most scholarly audiences he has faced
since he came to South America. His
topic was 1.-THE Democratic Movement
in 4 Republic" and he spoke before the
Oldest institution for higher education
on the continent. the University Ut
Chile. The university was founded by
tho Jesuits IN HAS
His review Of the democratic move
mont in the United States was confined
mainly to the twelve years since ne
frst became president.
Colonel Roosevelt said In part:
''The graduates and the undergrad.
uates. the teachers and the scholars OF
this university need not be told by me
that the institutions OF government
must OF necessity change. AZ all Things
change. not only in the human. Dut IN
the natural world. Change IL part OF
the law Of life. What IL absolutely
NECESSARY to the welfare Of a people.
or indeed, Of mankind. at one time. may
Al another time represent what Is use
less or positively harmful. We cannot
afford TO let ourselves be withheld from
the path OF necessary reform Dy the
dead hand Of the past. The great for
vard movement Of mankind can take
place only at the cost Of breaking
"When facing the necessity FOR
change the headlong innovator ana the
mere obstructionist tend to fah INTO
frames of mind which In their sum rep
renent a double error. The radical. be-
cause he f1nds that what the wise man
Of the past created no longer serves the
needs of the new time, is apt to oerloe
these leaders Of the past as opstruc-
tionists and reactionaries- The reac-
tionary, on the other mana. ls apt 10
hide his opposition to reform In the
present by loudly insisting that 1t 10
his fealty to the reformers OF the past
which forbids him to go further tnan
they went. Neither side II right.
Radical Reformers.
.TAaders in a reform movement, II
<hev are wise, will gauge their attempt
ed progress by the ability OF the peo-
ME for whom they are working 70 re-
ceive and profit by their reforms. Tnere
car he no permanent advance II such
ADVANCE goes far beyond what at the
time humanity il capable OF receiving.
therefore. radical reformers who also
possess sanity and common sense can
do most good by pushing the forwaro
movement up to but not beyond inc
limit which can at tho moment receive
popular acceptance.
"During the last dozen years the po-
itical movement in the United states
has represented chiefly the enort 70 put
into actual and concrete performance
the principles which in the abstract all
intelligent men admit to be true. 1t
has represented the effort to make the
great republic Of the north a genuine
democracy. 1t is the history OF DEM
ocratic movement in a republic.
1.-THE growth Of the United States IN
wealth and Industries after the civil
war had resulted in the creation OF
conditions which conclusively showed
that in order to achieve the objects
which the early Democratic leaders had
at heart, It vas necessary to reverse
the processes by which these early
Democratic leaders thought the OBJ
5ects could be achieved. 1t was neces-
sary to increase the power Of the gov
eminent and to control individual ac-
ton in order to secure the rights OF
the many against the enormous power
amassed in finance and industry by a
few men operating through a system OF
conservatives. the reactionaries. used
the Democratic shibboleths of a CEN
fury previous in order to prevent prog
ress in true Democracy, in order to pre-
vent the Democratic advance.
judiciary Independent and Otherwise.
zone of the standbys Of the reac-
tionaries was the judiciary.
In the days when the people suf-
fered from the tyranny of irresponsi-
~ Sk 81. q
the courts should be independent OF
this irresponsible power, so that they
should possess complete Independence
in the exercise of their judicial func-
lions. Accordingly the independence
Of the judiciary became one OF the VI
tai features of the Democratic pro-
gram. But during the last half OF the
nineteenth century the leaders OF re,
action In the United States, political
and financial alike, gradually grew to
recognize in the judiciary their most
powerful potential ally. There was
very little actual corruption on the
bench: on the contrary. our judges
have been on the whole both able
and upright public servants. standing
on level probably higher than tina,
Of any other civil servants OF the gov
eminent. As long as they confine
themselves to the exercise Of 'judicia
functions they perform their duties a
least as well as, probably better thar
other public servants perform theirs
''But their whole training, and tn,
aloofness Of their position on TIL,
bench, prevent their having, as a rule
any real knowledge OF, or understand
ing sympathy with, the lives ant
needs Of the ordinary hard working
toiler.
There are many honorable excep
lions; but this Is the rule. In conse
quence their tendency is to be ultr
conservative in all matters where tn
fancied rights Of property are invoke
on behalf Of the big privileged interest
as against human rights. as agains
the ordinary rights OF ordinary men an
women. The reactionaries in business
and the bosses in politics, thus foun