The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-10-27
Sen. MOSES I. CLAPP, PROGRESSIVE
REPUBLICAN, SHOWS FOLLY OF The
ELECTION OF DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR

Of the world two gigantic forces var
iously dominated as right and wrong,
good and bad, progress and reaction.
These two forces have been ever ex-
listing in the political life of the United
States and at the present time they
are known as progressive and reaction
airy. For 5000 years these forces have
existed until the great purpose, that of
free government was finally evolved.
Nineteen centuries ago the master sent
forth by sermon the beauty and won
derful thought of which has rang down
the ages, q force which has given us
the government we now possess as one
of its final results BY this same token
the work of lettering the conditions,
both governmental and industrial, I'M
der which people live will go on and
the problems of free government will
be worked out along progressive lines
as the sun shines in the heavens. Down
there In Washington there were some
of us who held to this view and We
were called dreamers, were scoffed at
and derided, but let no man look back
ward. The right will eventually tri-
umph, the progressive spirit will even
tually dominate the government of this
country.
After our government was formed
the political contest lay between the
democratic party and those parties
which arose against it. But the demo u.
cratic tradition of states rights stamp
ed 1t as a party of reaction. And
against that doctrine of states rights
was finally settled by the Civil war
arose the republican party, the party
of progress. Fourteen years ago there
was an effort made in 1896 to inject
spirit into the democratic party. The
issue on which the campaign of that
year was waged was an issue now re-
pudiated by those who fathered it, but
none can analyze the conditions then
existing without realizing that the pro-
gressive force dominant in the demo-
cratic party at that time has died out
since and the party is more reactionary
than it was in 1896. There are thou
sands of progressive spirits in the
democratic party, but the party itself
is the party of reaction. The nature
of a thing can best be judged by what
comes from it. The people must there
fore turn to the republican party to
solve the issues of national life The
republican party was born of the pro-
gressive spirit and until a year ago
last spring it's development has been
steadily along the lines of progressive
ness. And the path of political party
is not an easy one. In the forming of
legislation there are ever present two
horns of a dilemma. To venture too
far in one direction means the possible
impairment of credit and the creation,
of business unrest; to be too lax in the
formation of laws means that the great
monopoly powers will subject the peo-
Pile of the country to tyranny and op-
preston. From 1901 until 1908 the ca
reer of the republican party in the way
of progressive legislation was an espe.
cially notable one.
1t was first found that the beef trust
was dominating the market and that
the food being given to the people by
that combination was not what is
should be. The pure food law and the
meat inspection bill was the result.
When congress took hold of the mat
ter the cry went up in certain quar-
ters that the contemplated action would
disturb business conditions in the
country. But the republican party
worked on the theory that if there was
a business the methods of which could
not stand an honest investigation it
was time that that business was shak-
en- down to point where it could stand
such an investigation.
Next came the regulation of the to-
bacco trust. Here 1T was a glazing fact
that the leading spirits in this giant
combine who had more money than
they could see, feel or use, were de-
robbing the country of it's
just dues in the way of taxes. This
glaring state of affairs was remedied
through republican legislation.
Transportation Problem.
Then came the transportation prob
lem, one of the greatest, If not the
greatest, that has ever confronted the