The Washington times., 1911-01-28
PROGRESSIVE STUMP
NEEDS SPELLB|NDERS
League Hears Demand From
Every Corner for Some
One to Speak.
HELP US AROUSE
INTEREST" is PLEA
Not Enough Big Senators" or
Famous Congressman" to Go
Around, 1t Is Apparent.
By JUDSoN C. wELLIvER.

Gentlemen with speeches in their sys.
TENS and with ambition to try them out
on waiting audiences will do well to
apply to the National Republican Pro-
gressive League.
My boy" said Senator Dolliver on
one occasion, when it had been alleged
that the insurgents We're to be read out
of the party and denounced from every
stump in the land, my boy, do you
realize that when it comes to the COM
mon or garden varieties of wind-jam-
ming, We insurgents are somewhat jam
mers ourselves?''
There was a certain suggestion in the
obseryation, and in the Dolliverian wink
which accompanied it, of confidence that
In any wind-jamming enterprise the in
surgents would feel hopeful of taking
care of themselves. Election results in
dicated that their confidence was not
wholly groundless.
They talked themselves into that op-
portunity to speechify; now they have
organized themselves into a new one.
Who's going to make the speeches that
are demanded in behalf of this new
league? From all over the country let
ters and kilograms are coming asking
dispensations for the organization OF
rent organization is asked to send along
one of its crack spelbinders to work up
enthusiasm and help us get rousing
meeting" There are plenty of assur-
ances that everybody here is with you"
but Everybody wants to see a real
live Senator and hear him tell about the
scheme.
New Jersey Leads
New Jersey leads thus far in mani
festations of zeal in the new cause. But
il is not expected to hold the lead long
Expectation is that as soon as there is
time for the back townships to send in
their returns-Indiana, Wisconsin, Min
nesota, Iowa, and the mountain and far
Western States-Jersey will have to
take a back seat.
1t might seem a joke, but it isn't:
Delaware has developed a bunch Of
prominent people who want to be re-
formed. They are out for light and
leading, and declare that the real peo-
pie are ready to follow If direction is
only given to their yearnings.
In fact, the measure of response from
the East is declared by the leaguers to
exceed their expectations. They opine
that they could. use hundred orators
during the coming spring and summer
d II they had the money and the orators.
About the money, there is some mys-
terry; of orators. there is distinct
dICllS Every lO"h NdHlS dl ledSI d
Congressman whose name II is used to
seeing in its paper every evening, and
would prefer big Senator or lone
of these fighting governors"
Not Enough for All.
And there are not enough big Senators,
famous Congressman, or fighting gov
ernOrs to go round. The big Senators
have quite a lot of work on hand Just
now, saving our institutions; the famous
insurgents, those known for having put
their heads in the CannOn's mouth and
escaped to tell of it, are occupied in
efforts to avoid repetition of the har-
rowing experience; and the fighting
governors are fighting their Legis-
latures. So who's to do the wind-jam
ming?
Senator Jonathan Bourne, president
of the league, Is laid up at his home,
sufficiently indisposed to make 1t i'm
possible to give so much time as he
would wish to its business. In his
absence, former State Senator Fred G.
Howe, of Cleveland, is serving as sec
retary pro TEN. Whether he will be
the permanent secretary is, apparently,
not determined. He has been known
leaders of the reform movement in
Ohio, has written extensively in books
and magazines, along reform lines; and
is one of the authorities on modern mu-
nicipal problems. At present he is liv-
ing in New York, whittier his literary
engagements have taken him. He is
much interested in the leagues work,
and may very possibly he its permanent
secretary If other affairs will permit