The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-02-26
INSURGENCY IN THE EAST.

The so-caled ''insurgent move
among the Republicans of the old
Northwest is a matter of public knowl-
edge 1t is active. energetic, and de
termined in its opposition to Cannon
ism, to Aldrichlsm, to the faithless ia
riff law, and 10 the reactionarY forces
generally that arc in control of the
Republican party. We printed last
Monday a table from the Chicago Trib"
une, showing an almost unanimous op-
position among the Republican and In
dependent newspapers of the seven old
Northwestern States, to Cannon and TO
the present tariff law. And this op"
position is practically certain to carry
those States against the old reaction
airy forces of "thc machine,
But those States are not the Ma
ton, and the question is, what Repub-
lican support they will get in other
portions of the Republic. In an en-
deavor to solve this question, Mr.. Ray
Stannard Baker has an article i'll the
March American Magazine, full of
hope He notes that the struggle
against the old conservatism starts
in the cities, and he continues;
From the cities the struggle has neces-
sarily spread to the States for the States
make the laws for the cities. State gov
ernment, too, has grown too complex for
the old political machinery; there has
been and Is now a tendency TO break
away from party affiliations. We have
had a noteworthy group of Independent
and Progressive Governors. Hughes OF
New York. Johnson OF Minnesota; Folk
Iowa Stubbs Of Kansas: LaFolette of
Wisconsin, Harmon of Ohio, and many
others. They arc types Of the new states
manship.
That is certainly good beginning.
That array of public men is enough
to give strength and confidence TO any
movement, but the people in the East
are not awakened as those in the West
On this point Mr.. Baker says:
The new national political conscious
ness as it expresses itself In the Middle
awakened in the East to express itself In
elected representatives. The Eastern
States IL seems 10 me, are politically
| from two to five years behind the Mid
die West The same sort of struggles
which were going forward in Wisconsin
and Iowa few years ago arc now going
on In New Hampshire Maine; Massachu
setts. New York. and New Jersey. Tho
most backward of all the States Is un-
doubtedly Pennsylvania, which has not
| been able as yet tc make any consid-
| let alone the state, Connecticut rail
| road owned and the rotten borough OF
Rhode Island. arc also backward
He then proceeds to discuss the stu
alton i'll various Of the States, seeing
hopeful signs in New Hampshire, in
Massachusetts, and other States, point
ing out distinguished men i'll each, who
are distinctly in the "insurgent' col
umn. He considers that Pennsylvania
is the most backward Of any OF the
States, but he has large hopes in New
Hampshire, Massachusetts, and New
York And he sums up with this hope
ful conclusion:
All these facts show coneIusvely thai
the Insurgent movement is not sectiona
In its character nor is 1t limited TO the
Western States. II has. indeed, had IT.
earliest national expression and leader
ship in the West. but the East is follow
Ing close behind. And the line In every
part OF the country Is being drawn dal
By day. between those who believe tina
property interests should rule the nation
and those who believe that the pcopl,
should rule. The height OF the confllc
has by no means been reached. but IL /:
RAPIDLY approaching. There must be
new party alignment; there must be
clenn-cu division between the Conserva
tive and Progressive groups In this coun
try. Every candidate for public Office
should be required TO take his stand posi-
lively on one side or the other. From
now on. not personality. not locality, no
tradition, must govern us In tho selcc
tion of public servants but principle
And we must set our faces forward. full
OF faith In the future. full of faith II
the American people.
All of which is mighty encouraging t,
those Republicans who wish TO 60 for
ward. and neither to 90 backward o
stand still There is no question. bu
lot Of machine politicians Of the re