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Show B. H. ROBERTS DRAWS LARGE AUDIENCE The Ogden theater last evening was well filled with Democrats and others who assembled to hear the Hon. B. H. Roberts sDeak on the political lssuo3 of the day, and none left disappointed. disappoint-ed. While the speaker was not at bis best, he was interesting and held his audlonce during the hour and a half that ho spoke. It Is estimated that there wero fully 1,000 people at the meeting. The meeting was presided ovor hj former Major E M. Cmroy, who delivered de-livered a short address before Introducing Intro-ducing the distinguished speaker of the evening. In his remarks Dr Con-roy Con-roy called attention to tho peculiar political situation this year and said that It looked very much as though the Democrats arc about to win He said that tho main point of peculiarity peculiar-ity was the fact that Theodore Roosevelt Roose-velt this year had turned down his protege. William Howard Taft, and that his proteie In turn hnd repudiated repudi-ated and Hilled him because he would no longer tolerate him President Taft was nominated four years ago and elected largely through the Instrumentality of Mr Roosevelt, with the express understanding that he would carry out certain principles that Mr. Roosevelt and his followers desired should be inaugurated and written into law. Mr Taft failed utterly ut-terly to do these things, and Colonel Roosevelt declined this year to longer stnnd sponsor for him. When Mr. Roberts arose to speak ho was greeted with applauEe, and during his entire discourse the nudl-encc nudl-encc was attentive and frequently tho speaker was Interrupted by applause. Mr. Roberts began his talk by saying that ho was not an officer seeker and that no emolument could como to him, but that he lectured in campaign times as a matter of civic duty and because be-cause he believed In certain political principles. He wanted it distinctly understood that ho accorded every man his right to the oxerdee of his political faith and that he did not desire to closo any one's mouth to the fair and full expression of his faith. The speaker said that In a conversation conver-sation with an orthodox Republican a short time ago the Republican said to him that tho Progressives should be quelched and that they had no ground on which to consistently stand, that they were maligning the president presi-dent in an unwarranted manner and were more disturbers of the political Istltutlons of the country Mr Rob oris told him that It was a dangerous thing to undertake to curb a man In his thoughts and beliefs and that it was not American to fail to accord to every person of sane mental condition con-dition the right to speak and write the things ho bolieved. If such thing wero done, the speaker said, there would be no telling when the Republican Repub-lican or Democrat might have his turn at being squelched. Nationally, Mr Roberts said that Theodore Rcoseelt Is In the running with Mr Taft nnd Mr. Wilson, but that locally. In Utah, It was a grave question with him whether he should be considered seriously. He thought that In Utah tho fi ht was between Taft and Wilson The inference to be drawn from this statement was that political conditions are such in Utah that the third party moemcnt was not to be looked upon with alarm and that the Issues are joined by certain federal and other officers who have for a long time wielded a mighty power pow-er In the shaping of things political In tho state. Mr Roberts stated, however, that those who have espoused the cause of Progresslvelsm In Utah are to be congratulated con-gratulated and encouraged, for they are fighting for principle rather than the emoluments of office He called attention to the time when a few strong men of the Republican party had tho courage to stand for correct principles and Join the minority party par-ty In unseating the political czar of the house of representatives and in tho enactment of rules and regulations that afforded the members of that assembly a olce untrammolcd This, he said, was the onward movement of roform and progression, sine which tlmo the spirit of reform had become more widely spread and the peoplo had como to a conclusion that there must he some remedial action taken to preserve the better and higher high-er political institutions of the nation He looked upon the Progressive movement move-ment as being highly propc even though he did not agroe with the Idea that men should be called to tho pres-Idoncv pres-Idoncv for the third time, and he could not affiliate with anv but the Democratic Demo-cratic sldf of the controversy. After eliminating Mr. Roosevelt as a presidential possibility, so far as tho olectoral vote of Utah Is concerned, Mr Roberts took' up the national issues is-sues of the day rehearsing the policies of all tho candidates in tho field aDd speaking at considerable length on the platform of the three partlos Ho considered that Mr Taft stands for tho preservation of tho Ideas advanced by men who think the constitution Is a thing to be used only when It serves tho purposes of certain interests and that the interests should be accorded great power in the 60-callnd commer cial and Industrial uplift of tho country coun-try The Democrats hold that the constitution was mado for the good of the people and that It should be hold Inviolate and Interpreted to mean the government of and for the people, and the Progressives boliovo that the peoplo should rulo and that political graft and evil-doing should be dono away with. Both Democrats and Progressives Pro-gressives believe he said, that political politi-cal bossism should not prevail and that tho government should be brought nearer the people. The only consideration of Senator Smoot's speech that Mr. Roberts gave was In the reading of what tho senator anid regarding tho granting of pensions pen-sions Mr. Roberts said that ho read from Smoot'H paper and concluded of course that he was correctly quoted. The only comment Mr Roberts made on tho question was that pensions aro given to' men for good Hervlce rendered ren-dered In borne capacity and that It surely cast no reflection on tho Integrity In-tegrity and ability of men when such pension was given. Ho thought that tho Insinuations of the Bcnator wore hardly worthy of serious consideration. |