The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-02-26
The Insnrgcnt Movement I'm New
80 Hampshire.

us the East Also Insurgent?' is
the, title OF Ray Stannard Bakers
article in the March American Mag
azine. "Of all the Eastern states the
one nearest political freedom In my
opinion is New Hampshire" writes
Mr.. Baker. Continuing he says:
"The revolt began in 1906 as the
result of the meeting of thirteen
men who organized n Lincoln Re-
publican Club. Among the leading
men in the movement was winston
Churchill, the author.
Churchill was named as q candi-
date for governor and made re-
markable campaign for the nomin-
alton. He denounced the railroad,
he aroused the people, and, to the
CONSERVATION of the machine, came
to the convention with so many de-
legates supporting him that he was
defeated only by a trick
Though the Progressives were
beaten, they had succeeded in the
string New Hampshire TO its political
depths. The people began to see a
glimmer of hope for real popular
government; young men began TO
HOOK INTO the ngnt.
"The steps in the revolution since
1906 have been characteristic of the
struggle in every state where the In
surgent movement has won foot
hold. First the tricky old machine,
while alarmed by the revolt, under
estimated as the bosses always have,
the seriousness of the situation.
They thought il a mere effort of the
out to get in: mere personal con-
flict, and not as IL really was the
beginning of a revolution. Under
the foxy leadership of United States
Senator Gallinger and the state rail-
way bosses they allowed certain re-
form planks to be put into the party
platform for 1907 never intending.
of course, to carry them out, nor did
they carry them out. The old ma
chine elected its governor and legis-
lature and expected the 'spasm OF
reform to blow over. But IL didn't
In 1908 the Progressives were strong
er than ever, and the tricky machine
then took the usual course of cry
ing loudly for party harmony and
compromise and the reformers, as
usual, weakened, imagining that the
Seopard had somehow change his
spots. A compromise was effected
and the result was the election of
another machine governor--of course
But by this time number of Pro-
gressive young men, the leader OF
whom was Robert Z. Bass of Peter
boro, had got into the legislature.
And last winter (1909) they made a
hard fight TO carry out the reforms
demanded in the platform of 1907.
They called themselves platform Re-
publicans, demanding that the party
should carry out its promise to the
people.
THE Old machine led by Gallinger
and operated from behind the seem
es by the railroad lobbyists, had no
intention, of course, of enacting any
progressive measures. They easily
organized the legislature and ap-
pointed their committees. For more
than half of the session the rail-
road crowd was confident that its
control was as perfect as ever.
But things did not go all right
for the railroad. The Insurgents
had been holding meeting after meet
ing in Senator Bass's room, getting
acquainted, laying their plan of cam.
palgn. Moreover, the state was
aroused and the people was behind
thetn And to the astonishment OF
every one, when the session closed:
the nsurgents-thought they did moi
call themselves by that name--had
obtained a sweeping direct primar,
law drastic law forbidding the
railroad to give away passes. and
an anti-lobby law. They singalIy de
feated the railroads scheme of Ia,
revision and made the beginning o
more equitable system of taxation
py equalizing the rate on which tn,
pubic service corporations and 9th
er property in the state is taxed"