The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1910-01-26

American Magazine for Feb
ruary Points Out This Ten.
dency.
This is a report from the seat OF
war. I have been travelling for sew
eral weeks along the skirmish lines
in the insurgent territory Of the mid
die west chiefly in Minnesota, Iowa,
Kansas, Wisconsin and Indiana
writes Ray Stannard Baker in the
February American Magazine. l have
talked with the most unyielding of
the regulars and the most obstrep-
erous of the mutineers, and l shall
here endeavor to report accurately
the present aspect of the hostilities.
Who are in the insurgent move
ment? How deep does it go? What
are the true reasons for it? These
are the questions / set myself to an
swer.
In reporting a war one of the first
things to learn is the attitude Of each
Of the combatants. How do the reg
ulars feel about this uprising in the
west? I talked with a good many of
them first and late. Their attitude is
one of confidence in organization, ma
jorities, entrenched position. Without
exception the old-line leaders mini
mize and disparage the insurgent
m ovement. They point out that of
So republican senators only seven
are insurgent. and of 200 republican
representatives only 20 are fnsursent.
They regard the revolt simply as a
factional disturbance to be crushed
out.
Taft With "Standpatters."
President Taft, as leader Of the
party, has shown this attitude ever
since his administration began by the
cold comfort he has accorded to in
surgent senators and congressman
and by the commentator which he
has repeatedly bestowed upon Aldrich
Cannon. Payne. Tawney Of Minneso-
ia and Smith of Iowa-the two lat
ter being the strongest "standpat-
ters" in the insurgent west.
Speaker Cannon has pursued an
even more drastic. indeed abusive
course. going nearly to the point of
communicating the insurgents from
the party, declaring that they are in
reality democrats. He said:
"These people. hinder the leader
ship of Senator Cummins and Sena-
tor LaFollette, call them selves re-
publicans, but If they are. then I am
something else"
On the other hand, when 1 went
among the insurgents, l found their
ntt ,...~~ -
tility. Branded as mutineers, they
were determined to remain mutt
neers-and to go forward, not at all
secretly, in their attacks upon the en-
trenched position held hv the repub-
Iican organization.
Roosevclt's Method.
Roosevelt's political methods were
simplicity itself. He strengthened
the party by forcing it to adopt pop
ular issues. | once had from his own
lips a striking illustration of his
method. year ago this winter the
famous Russian sociologist, Ostro-
gorski, the author of a great work
on Democracy" spent several
months travelling in this country.
Upon his return to New York 1
IIlclICtu " Slb itNt " MN dl IL IuH-
cheon. We fell to talking present
ly of the radical political elements in
our American parties compared with
the socialist party in Europe, and
asked him what in his opinion would
be the future of the socialist parrv III
America.
WELL" he said, you are a very
intelligent and thoughtful population,
and the leaders of your old political
parties thus far have been men of the
people, possessed of much political
wisdom. So long as the leaders of
the old parties seize upon the meas
UreS possessed by the radical group
us fast as these measures are popu-
larly understood and approved there
is no chance for tbs socialist party
A week or so later ] was at the
White House in Washington talking
with President Roosevelt. Again the
question of the socialist party came
up, and l told the president what
Ostrogorski had said to me. The
president slapped his knee with
characteristic vigor and said:
That's Just what l am doing
stealing their thunder!"
Today everything is changed. OF
changing. Through the agency OF
direct primaries, the commission form
OF administering city affairs (the
"Des Molnes plano with the refer
endum, initiative and recall, govern.
ment is coming out at last into the
daylight. The influence of the rail.
roads upon politics IS being clinpet
hy means of anti-pass laws, the ap.
pointment of railroad commissio1 L.
and the beginnings of rate regula
ton. Everywhere the demand of the
old greenbackers for more direc
power of the people over their gov.
eminent" is being carried out.
As l travelled through the west i
seemed like a wholly different coun
try from what it was five years ago
Perhaps the most surprising things
found were the new organization O.
every sort which were getting joy
ously into the fight, concerning them
selves more or less vitality with pub
lie affairs and finding it the best spor
in the world.
Ends Are Unselfsh.
You will scarcely find any town il
the west worth mentioning that |!
without its voluntary citizens asso
citation, Improvement league, city
club, municipal voters league, citi
zens' association or law-enforceme,.
league. And, as a Minneapolis en-
thusiast expressed 1t they are ION tn,
job 365 days in the year" They ar,
doing more or less unselfishly fo
their cities and states what the Tam
many halls and the machines hav,
been so long doing for selfish ends.
Now, this is an important elemen
In our democratic development ant