The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1910-01-19
Letters From Darkest Africa Give
Brightest Hope to Progressives
and All Washington Knows
Great Battle Impends.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 17.-That
ex-President Roosevelt will cast
his fortunes with the newly organiz-
ing progressive party Is hope that
is rapidly turning into fixed belief,
says the Cincinnati Post.
Efforts quietly made by the Taft
administration to secure from the ia
nous African huute- something
which would seem like al endorse
ment of the course pursued up to
date have entirely failed.
On the other hand it Is known that
Roosevelt's closest friends--men WHO
have kept in touch by CORE spondence
with him, even since he reached the
distant hunting groundJ--,are IN ex-
cellent spirits, and show full! con-
fidence that there is rescue .low in
sight.
What little Is said takes the form
Of statement of general reasons why
Roosevelt is certain to lend the
weight of his admittedly great in1u-
ence to the progressive movement
Such a statement follows. ct Is not
in any sense an authorized or otticial
The Reasons.
Roosevelt Is progressive. Natur-
ally his sympathies are with that ele-
ment of his party which hollis pro-
gressive views.
Roosevelt always has been regu-
lar party man. He always has be-
iieved in organization, and his work
has been as a reformer within The
party. When he came into office ne
found the republican party dominated
by the business int fests-a party Of
reaction. He announced his purpose
then, to Save the party from itself. =
Under his direction the republican
party stood for progressiveism.
The last big task undertaken by
Roosevelt was of perpetuating after
his retirement the character of the
republican party as he had stamped
1t.
He Feared Reaction.
'T do not want to see an era Of re-
action" was Roosevelt's statement in
discussing what should follow march
4, 1909.
For IS months previous to that
date Roosevelt, then president,
fought to keep control of the nation
al convention in order that the can
didate might be a man committed to
progressive" policies.
He won an empty victory. William
Howard Taft proved to be reaction
airy.
With the presidency went the party
organization. The leadership of con-
gress had long been shown to be in
reactionary hands. So all that re-
manned was the small group-"in-
surgents'. lin the house, progressive
republicans in the senate.
Before Roosevelt left the country
and before the special tariff session
had shown how complete had been
the, executive surrender, 1t was evil
dent that reaction" was again the
dominating note. The Roosevelt pol
icies had L. The Roosevelt infiu-
ence had wano All things were
most pleasing to the people whose in
fuence Roosevelt had struggled to re-
sist in naming Taft.
The Gang Came Back.
1t is a year and two months since
Taft learned of his election. An era
of reaction has been in full swing
Congress has done the bidding of the
special interests. and the White
House has kept hands Off.
Such is not the record hoped for by
Roosevelt when he fought Cannon.
Knox, Fairbanks and the other
allies in behalf of candidate
pledged to carry out my policies"
But Roosevelt had also made some
promises. IIe had promised the pub
Taffs adminlstrsiien He arranged
a trip to Afric~ ~ order mot to en-
barrass Mr.. ys>,.' He later adhered