The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1911-10-05
PROCRESS|VES MUST
FIGHT PRESIDENT,
SAYS CRAWFORD
Says Otherwise Their
Identity Would
Soon be Lost
TAFT is SCORED
Senator Declares Heis IRVING
to Work with the Stand
pat Interests
TAFT IS SCORED

pat Interests
! must make Il contest for the nomina-
! tion OF a progressive republican for
| president, in order to preserve the
identity of their movement, is the
burden OF the speech delivered at
| the Gale theatre shortly before noon
today by Senator Coe |. Crawford of
South Dakota, the principal speaker.
| The Senator discussed the relations
of the progressive republicans in
congress TO Taft and concluded that
Taft is making the mistake OF try
/ ing to secure progressive legislation
pa; interests.
Following is Senator Crawford's S
speech in full:
Purpose of Meeting.
This is a Progressive Re
publican meeting. The organization
which called il is Il champion of pop
Hlar government and seeks tc favor
specific measures which give to the
public larger part in the direction
OF governmental affairs. One OF the
measures which the National Pro-
grcssive Republican League at Wash
ington favors with especial empha-
sis, is that in all state primary elec-
tion laws provision shall be made for
the direct election by the rank and
of party voters, OF delegates to
,ne great national political conven-
tions and that such laws in con-
nection with the direct election Of
delegates, shall also provide a meth
od by which the voter may express
his preference among the candidates
jof his party for the presidency. For
tunately, the direct primary election
law of this state already contains
such a provision.
Lists of candidates printed on our
official primary ballot may have a
motto of five words at the top in
which the presidential candidate
favored by any list of proposed dele
gates, may be printed and the voter,
in making his ballot, will express his
choice as to a candidate for presi-
dent While the rule heretofore
adopted by ,.le .,ational Republican
Committee, which we may safely as
sumo will e followed next year, al
lows to each state a number of dele
gates equal to twice the number of
| {oti in
Congress-which would give South
Dakota ten delegates-and while it
3 customary in many states to elect
a part of the delegates by districts,
this custom cannot be followed in
South Dakota because the direct rri-
mary law Of this state provides for
the selection of all the delegates at
large.
Voters to Make Expression.
IL am glad that our new law covers
the ground in this way because it
will afford the voters in the Repub-
can party an opportunity next June
to give fair expression of their
wish concerning the denomination OF
President Taft The sentiment Of
the majority of the voters IN the par
ty thus expressed should, be follow
ed,-and no doubt will be followed.
by the delegation from this state.
This League, III the published notice
in which it called this meeting, de-
clares that one purpose of the meet
ing is to discuss the advisability OF
renominating the president and the
effect Of his denomination upon pro-
gressive policies.
II wish to discuss this matter
with frankness and in a spirit OF
fairness. AS ha said elsewhere
am personally fond of President
Taft. AS a republican, will vote
for him if he is nominated. But
am in favor of ma ing fight in the
next Republican National Conven.
ton for platform and candidate
more fully in accord with progress
sive republican principles and more
in sympathy with progressive re
publican sentiment, particularly az
it exists throughout the great veg
and as it is represented by progres
sivc republicans in the senate ant
congress of the United States.
Il have declared in favor of t!l'
nomination of an aggressive and mil
liant western progressive republican
cause. in my opinion, the onl.
thing which will save the progrcs
sive movement and keep it going TN
til it secures control of the Repub
lcan party, which it must dc if tina
party is to continue in power, is t
fight and fight hard and keep oil
gnting,-not outside the party. bu
within the party. The president op
enly and publicly made recent at
tack upon the progressive Senator
wno.-after the Canadian pact wa
! ratified by Congress through hi
| open alliance with democrats-sul
| ported bills materially reducing th
| tariff upon the items in the woole
schedule and placing agricultural I'm