The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1910-05-27
PROGRESSIVE REPUBLICANISM
Hon. Miles Poindexters Tells About II in
the New York Evening Post, and 1t
is Interesting

of the federal domain, as opposed to
the standpat policy of parcelling out to
private interests, without restriction and
without adequate compensation, these
vast possessions of the people. II
favors the extension of the forest re-
serve system into the mountain regions
of the east. 1t stands for strong and
effective government control of rail-
roads and the regulation of rates there
on, as opposed to the reactionary
policy of non-interference. 1t stands
for competition in trade, as against the
machine policy of monopoly. 1t is in
favor of strengthening, instead of weak
ening, the Sherman antitrust law, and
of enIarging the powers of the inter
state commerce commission; of giving
this commission the power to fix rates
and power to put its orders into effect.
In view of the fact that the two latter
subjects are the most important sources
of litigation in the federal courts, Pro-
gressive Republicanism favors the ap-
pointment of impartial and unbiased
federal judges, rather than those whose
service and association with the trusts
and public service corporations which
are the subject of this regulation has
caused them to prejudge this public
question. We are in favor of the sane
and wholesome policy so successfully
inaugurated by ex-President Roosevelt
of dealing with wealthy criminals the
same as with poor ones; and that land
frauds and rebate conspiracies to de-
fraud the customs should be vigorously
prosecuted, and that the principals, as
well as the tools and dummies, should
be punished, regardless of great wealth
or station.
Progressive Republicanism favors a
libe-al and businesslike policy of inter
nal waterway improvement, and the inn
mediate issue OF bonds for that work, if
necessary, as opposed to the Indifferent
or hostile attitude of the reactionaries
towards this great public work. 1t adj
vocates a permanent tariff commission,
with full power to investigate and re-
port all facts necessary to an enlight-
ened tariff schedule, rather than the
grab and barter system of Aldrich and
Cannon.
We advocate a reorganization of the
United States senate so that the inter-
ests and the sections which have so
long entirely controlled it shall share
their influence with the entire country.
We are for more independent spirit
in the senate, in the place of spirit OF
subserviency to one or two dictators.
Progressive Republicanism, espec-
tally, stands for reorganization OF the
house of representatives, so that that
branch of congress, at least, shall be,
as it was intended to be, responsive to
public opinion. AS it is today con-
trolled by the patronage and power OF
the speaker, it is wholly unrepresenta-
tive. It is not even conducted under
regular rules, but in all crises under a
system of special orders, for particular
occasions, as the desires or the exigen-
cies of the speaker and his lieutenants
may demand. Two changes alone will
restore the house to its true character
as a popular legislative body: one, that
the house itself, and not the speaker
by a geographical system OF distribu-
tion-shall choose its committees; and
the other, that the privileges of the
committee on rules be restricted, and
that its orders shall not be adopted but
by two-thirds vote, as is already really
provided by the rules of the house, but
ignored in practice.
Fundamentally, however, and gen
orally speaking, the difference between
the Progressives and Reactionaries i;
that the former stand for the American
principle of equality, while the lattel
stand for special interests OF vast accu'
mulated wealth. Progressive Republi'
canism believes that these accumula
tiohs have become so vast that they
exercise an undue and improper inHu
ence in legislation, while the Reaction
aries contend, privately, if not publicly