The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-06-23
PROGRESSIVES HAVE TURNED.

The sudden change that appears In
the Senate on the tariff question in.
| wolves the control of that body, as the
dispatches state. 1t has heretofore
been assumed that the Republicans and
| Republican policies would be In con
! troll of that body. Now. however, 1t
appears that the progressive Senators,
smarting under the insults of the
staudpattcrs for the past three years,
have come 10 an open break, and,
realizing their power. are determined
TO bring the standpattcrs to their
knees. In the last Congress the pro
grcssiye Republican Senators were
treated with the utmost contumcly and
contempt, they "sre openly denounced
as Democrats - disguise, and were
mockcd with TIE oft-rcpcated taunt
that they could not help themselves;
that the standpalters were in control.
and proposed To run things TO suit
themselves: that the progressives must
either fall in line or get In the way
and be kicked out, as they chose.
II was bitter dose to the progressive
Republican Senators. and was all the
more cxasperating and humiliating in
view Of the fact that they were
the ones who. in fact and in deed and
in form, represented the pledge of the
last Republican National platform. as
expressly interpreted by President
Taft in his campaign speeches. The
standpatters affected To despise that
Interpretation as made IN those Taft
speeches, and ieeringly called upon the
progressives TO help themselves if they
could. 1t was the brutal insolence of
power trampling over right
But now the progressive Republican
Senators are able TO help themselves
and it need cause no particular wonder
if they proceed to do so. The Demo.
cratic Senators apparently arc lined
up in accord with their party majority
in the House, and are prepared to enter
upon tariff revision that viii be
thorough as to certain schedules.
1t is sudden change indeed and,
as the dispatches state, 1T Will show, If
persisted in. that the Republican par.
tisans Of the standpat persuasion have
lost control of the Senate. We are
not Of those who believe that the
breach is incurable We arc fully
convinced that. with the staDdpatters
giving reasonable heed TO the progres.
sive policies and fair personal con
sideration to the progressive Senators,
the Republican asccndancy III tho Sen.
ate can easily be preserved But the
old style tactics of bullyrageing the
progressive Senators, of undertaking to
read them out of the party, of treating
them with scorn and contempt. viii no
longer avail.
This revolt Of the progressive Sena-
tors is unexpected al this time. They
were submissive in The last Congress,
because there was no way for them TO
help themselves. no matter how much
thev were mnligned, traduced. aud held
up to party scorn There had been no
indication Of a serious breach in the
party ranks As between the progre5
sives and the standpatters in the pres
ent extra session. But now, all al
once, the rift appears. There is dis
tinct line of cleavage open, and it can
only he healed by the standpatters
coming down from their high horse
and getting into he breach themselves.
This will he bitter dose for the stand
pstters, but there is no doubt in the
world but that, il the pregresSives
stand firm. the reactionary gang viii
be compelled 10 swallow that dose