Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1911-02-15
SCUTTL|NG THE SHIP

| reldIiVe 10 the presidential CAM
paign of 1912:
THE first step to insure election
Of Judson Harmon as president of
the Unied States in 1912. outside
of the democratic party itself, has
been taken by the formation of the
so called National Progressiy {
Republican league. While this
organization masquerades under
name of republican, there should
be no mistakes as to its character
and purpose. In character it is anti
Taft, ard'its purpose is to hoom
one Of its leaders for president in
1912. AS all of these leaders have
the presidential bee in their bon
nets, $we may witness very
interesting contest among them
selves, and the league might go to
pieces as result of internal
dissensions.
The character of any organi-
cation is shown by the character of
the men who compose it. All of
the leaders of the movement are
we'll known, and is easy to see
what the organization will be
regardless of what it pretcnds to
he.
At the head of the organization
is Senator Bourne of Oregon, a
gentleman who knows more about
golf than he does about legislation,
but who has cultivated the faculty
of changing band wagons with
such frequency that in one month he
has clamored for, second elective
term for a president and a month
alter lined up with the successful
candidate on terms of close intimacy
Senator Bourne has obtained wide
publicity by his advocacy of what
is known as the Oregon plan for
electing senators. and it should be
said in fairness that of all the men
on the list, he is the least radical.
High in the councils of the new
league, and generally considered
its leader. is Senator La Toilette
of Wisconsin, whose claim to be q
republican is libel on the party,
as he is republican in name only,
except when it comes to voting for
high protective tariff on the
products. of his constituents. La
Toilette commands little respect
in the country at large and less
than ever before, since his boorish
conduct in refusing to confer at the
courteous request of the president
of the United States upon the
recent supreme court appointments.
Among other senator's who have
enrolled in the league are Cum
minis of Iowa and Beveridge OF
Indiana. Senator Cummins las
distinguished himself by absolute
disregard of facts in discussing
railroad Legislation and Senator
Beveridge has attained to such
high esteem in his own state of
Indiana that in the recent election
his fellow citizens retired him to
private life, and sent to Washington
in his place John Worth Kern,
who was treated as a joke whep
running on the ticket with Bryan
in the last presidential campaign.
OF course the name of Clifford
Pinchot is prominent. 1t will
not be forgotten that Mr.. Pinchot
was summarily fired by the Presi.
dent of the United States for
i differentiation that savorcd Of
the schoOlboy type. 1t was the
same Mr.. Pinchot who, when called
before the investigation committee
in the Ballinger Pinchot contro-
vcrsy, read long statement accus.
ing Mr.. Ballinger Of every crime
short of murder, but who absolutely
refused to make oath to single
charge.
Then there is Mr.. Brandies of
Boston, who Is temporarily filing
the shoes Of Thomas w. Lawson as
the most advertised man I'm Boston.