The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1910-07-20

advice. The boys down at oyster
Bay swallowed il, and added some
little opinions of their own, until
Roosevelt was compelled to protest
that he was being misrepresented.
Fairbanks, the mild hammered
quintessence of propriety. consider
ed IL not Inappropriate at a chau-
tauqua lecture to lay stress on the
evils of maliciously and deliberate
ly maligning the president OF the
United States for political purposes,
Mr.. Fairbanks sympathies are not
with the progressives, and while his
remarks are not out of the way,
considering them from any angle, II
looks as II the Insurgents and their
allies, the "uplift" magazines,
which court popularity. have blum
dered into another false position.
Half the public interest in the In
surgent movement was the anticipa-
ton of an exciting fight. The badly
balanced members of the Insurgent
faction and the distempered period
icals banked a trife too heavily on
continuance of public excitement.
and their efforts have been directed
toward keeping 1t up, sometimes at
the expense of truth. Their game
ness caught the public fancy; but
Joe Cannon's gameness in attacking
Bristow and Murdoch in Kansas
ELECTS no less applause. and some Of
his short arm hooks and upper cuts
took the wind out of the jayhawker
statesmen.
| Mr.. Fairbanks admonition may
mark a reaction. The Insurgents
have forced the so-called regulars
Into the attitude of defending a Re-
publican administration In the Re
publican states, where the factional
/ fight is being waged. Anyone at all
acquainted with politics realizes
what a tactical advantage this gives
the old organization.
The progressive movement must
be distinguished from insurgency.
Progress applies to purely govern
mental functions and policies Of
state. Insurgency applies to the
fight for control Of the party organi-
cation. insurgency has handicap
ped progress in one way and aided
II in another. II gave the presi-
dent the whip hand in congress by
playing one side against another.
but the president could not place
confidence in the western Insurgents
who seemed ready at any moment
to sacrifice the success Of the Taft
program to the political exlgencies
of the moment. They grew cold
toward the president, because he
recognized Speaker Cannon as a
congressman and Senator Aldrich as
a senator, positions to which their
constituents had elected them. How
the president could ignore these
men. whose votes and influence be
desired for progressive measures,
the Insurgents did not stop to ex-
plain. They thought the president
should subordinate his policies 10
their success, and they desired To-
use federal patronage in furthering
their political ends in congress.
When the president refused to be-
come a factional leader or submit
to their dictation. they classed him
with the opposing faction. They
had not the tact to leave the presi-
dent out of the situation until they
had won their battle for supremacy
and then demand of the president
what they wanted In the name Of
the party organization.
Now they are futilely besieging
Oyster Bay or bombarding Joe Can
non on the chautauqua platform.
while the president OF all the United
States is cooling of along the
Maine coast.