Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1911-01-20
BY JOHN !, HANNAH

up OF the future committees of the
nouse and senate or as to the control
Oh the party after 1912, the Progress.
si'e program has developed and there
~ movement Oil over the country
TO secure the enactment of laws
"hlch Will bring the control of the
party and Of the government into the
hands or the voters and take the con.
Irol OF both out Of the hands of the
bosses
progressive Republicans and Pro-
sresslVe democrats are cooperating
TO attain this end. The impetus to
THIS progressive campaign is in the
little group of Progressives in con-
gress. These men are using their in.
nuence with the legislatures in their
states 10 secure laws guaranteeing di-
rect legislation. They not only pro-
pose to make their state govern
ments more responsive, to secure the
oregon plan for the election OF 'sena-
tors, and direct nominations for all
offices, but they also intend to make
the presidency more directly respon-
sible to the people
Two things are necessary to attain
xh1s end. The people must be given
opportunity to vote directly and ex-
press their choice as to presidential
candidates within their parties Then
the president must be shorn of the
power to appoint more than 10000
federal Office holders. This vast
army of employees gives to the in
cumbent of the office of president a
machine which enables him to exert
a too powerful influence either to the
end that he may perpetuate himself
in power or that he may be able by
its use to dictate the succession. At
least the use of this machine can die
tate the nominee of the party in
power
For Presidential Preference Bills.
Progressive Republicans and Dem
ocrats have already started the cam
paign in the states to secure the en-
actment of presidential preference
bills under which, after all of the
states adopt such laws, the voters
can express their will as to who
should be the nominee of the party to
which they owe allegiance. Such a
vote by the members Of the party
within a state will be instructions to
the delegates to the national cOnven-
ton. These instructions will not be
violated. Members of state legisla-
lures In states having direct primary
laws providing for the nomination OF
United States senators do not as a
general rule violate the instructions
of the people.
Delegates to national conventions
will be just as mindful Of the will OF
the people of their particular state
1t is recognized that this system
would be used to secure the delegates
from a state for some favorlte son
To guard against the log-rolling and
trading in a convention made of dele
gates pledged TO favorite sons, 1t is
provided that the voters shall nave
opportunity to express their second
and third choices.
Progressive Republicans recognize
that it will not be possible to secure
the enactment of such laws In many
of the states in time to have ma
iority of the delegates to the 1917
conventions chosen under this sys
tenn These laws will be enacted in
some of the states. Under such laws
the power of the federal machine II
the southern states would be weaken
ed if not entirely broken.
Recognizing that such laws would
NO nonular. and at the same time dan
ysrous TO them, the reactionaries
laugh at these proposed statutes.
Movement Well Under Way.
Progressive Republicans are organ
,zing to make an aggressive campaign
Dnring the holidays the ground was
-,rorored in the states. Senator La
FoIlette's friends are busy IN Wlscon
I'm Senator Clapp's supporters are
n,rareesive in Minnesota. Senator
C,|n,mins declared for the Oregon
-, !, Iowa. After deCrying agains
sverv popular government movement
for wears. Senator LATE Young mas
himself where he must succumo tI
+ho demand of the people of that state
md he followed with doleful. me
too"
ca,ator Bristow and Governor
o..hns In Kansas and Senator Brown
and Governor Aldrich in Nebraska are
n,tt,ng ginger into the campaigns IL
20 states. Poindexter in Washing
80 Johnson In California, Gronna IL
North Dakota, Borah In laano an'
nixon in Montana are lighting the
amos IN their states, and it now ap
NJ certain that in almost ever!
Repnblican state of the west witt viii
ne exception of Illinois an aggressive
, ,n campaign will be prose
cuted. u,r from, m,
iii''- - The Iorimer exposure. The
enee too, is staggering under th'
sena Of its committee. The OF.
report - The senate under the di