The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-31
WILL THERE EBE
 A THIRD PARTY Question Is Asked In POliti-
 cal Circles PROGRESSIVE G. o. P. Is Factor to Be Reckoned With In Next Campaign As We'll
 As the Bryan Demo-
By RoDERIcK CLIFFORD

Washington, March 30.-(Special.)- )- What will the next two years produce for the republicans, democrats or pro- gressives. who are to be the presl- dential nominees. and whether there is to be third party or not, are ques- ttons that leading politicians are ask ing as well as the supporters of Pres ! ident Taft, who confidently looks for ward to his renomination.
 Although President Taft's admins tration is pronounced 70. K" in official circles. the fact still remains that he has not developed very strong claims to put before the people in the cont ing campaign to get votes for the re- publican party.
 On the democratic side, it is pointed out, the republicans will have to go be- l fore the. people with the same issues as were presented in the last cam paign-the high cost of living, prom ises of tariff reform, and promises Of greater economy in administering the affairs of the government This situa- ton necessarily has given strong inn petus to the movement for a third party--the gressives--composed of the rdQlcdlS III DOln tue ucIlOCld dtlC anu republican ranks.
 On the republican side President Taft will be selected for renomination. On the democratic side leading politicians say that Governors Wilson, Harmon, or Dix will receive the solid vote for the nomination. The progreSsiVeS, led by Senators LaFollette and Cummins and Representative Norris and others in the House, naturally look forward to con- trolling the votes of the progressive movement.
 LaFollette, who is perhaps better known to the country at large than Senator Cummins or Representative Norris, has a large following and Tn all probability would show considerable strength in the convention. His silence during the past session of Congress until his brief talk on the Lorimer case, caused great deal of comment and induced speculation as to whether he was not saving his ammunition for a presidential campaign. Evidently fol- lowing his lead, the progressfves as whole in both the Senate and in the House of Representatives, refrained from publicly criticising with several exceptions, the administration of Pres ident Taft throughout the entire ses- sion. All overtures made by the straight republicans to the progressives were cooly received and rejected. The progressves manifested spirit of aloofness and as good as served notice on the administration that judgment would be reserved until the admins tration demonstrated such policies as would meet the requirements of the rrogressiyes.
 This situation caused the progressives to look around for presidential timber and, as the foremost leaders of this new doctrine are not the most accept t-r IL H. file, a compromise candidate, it is ex- pected will, in all probability, be se lected. From indications this nominee might very well be Gov. Judson liar mon of Ohio even if he is democrat
 The progressive republicans are dis inclined to fall into line behind the leadership of President Taft, principal Payne -Aldrich bill. This bill never satisfied the progressives Of the re- publican party Try as the administra tion did, it was not possible to secure the support of the progressives in the session of Congress just closed The Canadian reciprocity bill did not appeal to them. It was not even "all right as far as it went" for it did not go iH the right direction, in their opinion. This attempt at tariff revision was looked upon as compromise and 1id not strike at the heart of the evil as viewed by the progressives. What they wanted and fought for was a reduction in the tariff on clothing, manufactured goods. on wire, steel and iron, and a few other commodities.
 They point out that the President in signing the Payne -Aldrich bill accepted certain conditions of the bill which were not to his liking and consequent ly gave in to his opponents. The wool on schedule. it is said, was allowed to remain over the protests of all the lead ing progressves in both branches of Congress. Again, the progressives, at tack the President for not strenuously supporting the bill for the direct cleo tion of United States snnators by pop ular vote, which failed of passage, as did the bill granting itehood to Ari- zona, in which the ir Native, referen- dunn and recall was orporated. They resented the administ .tion attempt to increase the rates of postage for mag azines. as the progressives have been conducting their campaign through the magazines.
 Only in one instance did the progress sives pull with the administration, and that on the question ef a creation of a tariff board for ss tific revision of the tariff.
 In the opinion of some politicians, the first outcropping of progressive