The independent-reporter., 1910-09-15
GREAT POLITICAL
ERA BEGINS
Human Rights and Priv
ilege Contend
Theodore Roosevelt Announces His
Greed at Ossawatomie.

The G. o. p is dead Long live the
Republican party! September first, at
Ossawatomie, Kan, saw the formal
beginning of the third great era In
the political history of our coun-
try. The Grand Old Party. the party
that liberated the slaves, that fought
the war, that saved the Union has
passed away But under the Repub-
lican banner the forces of progress
and righteousness will march on to
victory.
Few will dispute the statement that
Theodore Roosevelt is the greatest
politician alive. His friends will
concede this, thinking the while of
Thomas B. Reeds definition of a
statesman Ga politician that Is
dead.') His enemies will grant him
the title in lieu of demagogue and
dictator. But whatever the future
may hold, history fails to record a
time when the great Rough Rider did
not have his ear to the ground. His
estimate of the public temper has
been we'll nigh infallible.
The struggle between human rights
and privilege is as old as society 1T
self 1t has found expression In
various ways at different times, and
privilege has always been forced to
retreat This has led to a natural
division of political parties into pro-
gressive and conservative. Wherever
representative government holds
sway ontside the United States this
cleavage has taken place. Progress
sives have fought for human rights
conservatives to maintain their priv
ileges.
For a number of years the demar-
cation between Republicans and
Democrats has been quite indistinct.
The lingering bitterness of the Civil
war, together with the race question
in the South, maintained party solid
arity at the expense of the general
welfare. The Populist party sprung
up because of this inlexibility of the
older two, then merged with the
Democracy, and died. The "Insur-
gent" movement arose to take Its
place, and this time the new thought
has come into it's own.
Insurgency" is by no means new
The novel part of the situation is the
fact that the movement has sufficient
strength to win the unqualified in
dorsement of Theodore Roosevelt
This will be sufficient to convince the
faint hearted that once more the Re-
publican party Is to become the un-
daunted champion of human rights
Following Is the Associated Press re-
port of the address delivered by Col
Roosevelt at Ossawatomie, on John
Brown Day:
In clear and emphatic fashion
Theodore Roosevelt announced his
political creed here Wednesday, Au-
gust 81. 1t was a creed of progress
sive Republicanism. 1t aligned him
definitely with the Progressive move
ment within the party as whole. 1t
placed him on record as an advocate
of some policies which find favor
with the Insurgents, and as an OPP
ponent of every special interest"
which he believes sinister influ-
ence on the affairs Of the people.
Col. Roosevelt declared himself in
favor of a wide increase In the pow
er of the national government. 30
that 1t might assume greater power
in the control of corporations and the
working out of such policies which he
believes should be adopted. He de-
clared for the new nationalism" as
he termed such an increase In gov
ernmental power.
Col Roosevelt characterized the
issue of the day as "a struggle to
gain and hold the right of self
government as against the special in
terests who twist the methods of free
government into machinery for de-
feating the popular will"
1.-The issue is Joined and we must
fight or fall" said he. The ex-
President declared himself In favor Of
these principles:
ILLUMINATION of special interests
from politics.
2-Complete and effective publicity
Of corporation affairs.
. 3-Passage of laws prohibiting the
use of corporate funds directly or in
directly for political purposes.
4-Government supervision OF the
capitalization not only of public ser
vice corporations, but of all corpora
tions doing an Interstate business.
personal responsibility OF OFF,
GERS and directors of corporations
that break the law.
6-Increased power of the federal
bureau of corporations and the In
terstate Commerce Commission to
control industry more effectively.
Revision of the tariff, one sched-
ule at time, on the basis of inform
alton furnished by an expert tariff
commission.
8-Graduated income tax and grad
uated inheritance tax.
9-Readjustment of the country's
financial system in such a way as to
prevent repetition of periodical f1nan-
cial panics.
10-Maintenance of an efficient
army and navy large enough to In
sure the respect Of other nations as a
guarantee of peace.
11-Use of national resources for