St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1911-10-25
Progressives in the Open.

I
That the progressive republicans
are to make an organized effort to
elect the next president of the
| United States was made manifest at
conference of zoo of them in Chic
ago last week. They adopted res
olutions endorsing Sen. Robert NJ.
| LaFollette of Wisconsin as a presi-
Dental candidate and insinuate from
the fact that former Secretary of the
Interior James r. Garfield had some
thing to say about the resolutions
that EXPIRES. Roosevelt is identified
with the move. The resolutions al
so favor the direct primary for the
choice of president. The progressive
movement is defined as follows:
The progressive movement is a
struggle to Wrest the control of the
| government in the nation and in the
states from the representative of
special privilege and restore it to
the control of the people. The issue
| is the same in all the states, though
the problem may be presented in diff
ferent ways. In the national field,
the control of government by special
privilege is evidenced by the inf1u-
ence and power of the reactionary
leaders in both parties in checking
or preventing the enactment of pro-
gressive policies pledged by the re-
publican party.
The present condition of uncer-
tainty in business is intolerable and
destructive of industrial prosperity.
+ ic RI q
question of whether great business
enterprises are legal or not, merely
to judicial determination. Industrial
corporations should by Affirmative
legislative enactment be given def
mite rules of conduct by which bust
ness shall be made safe and stable
while at the same time the interests
of the public should be fully safe
guarded. We seek constructive leg
islation and not destructive litiga-
ton.
The virtues of Sen. LaFollette are
enumerated. as follows:
Robert Marion LaFollette of Wis
consin years ago found conditions in
his state not unlike those of the ma
ton today. Under his leadership all
opposition was overcome, and there
tenn of laws that stand as models for
legislation in all states of the Union.
Laws have been passed in that state
adequately regulating all public ser
vice corporations; equalizing the
burdens of taxation; providing for
direct nominations by the people;
protecting legitimate business and
capital honestly invested, promoting
the welfare of labor-in short, real
progressive government has been re-
stored.
1t will be noted that these leaders
are silent on what is likely to be the
chief issue of the campaign, the tar
iff. The people are entitled to know
what attitude they will assume to-
ward American labor and industry.
Freedom from control by representa-
tives of special privilege is a very
desirable thing, so desirable that the
formation of new party to secure
it seems to US unnecessary. If they
are pointed out we believe a majority
of the states would refuse to contin-
ue them in Office. Do the members
of the Vermont delegation to
congress favor special interests? If
it can be shown they do we think the
regular republican party which
elected them would refuse them a re-
election at the first opportunity. No
man can have his own way in COR
gross, especially man like Sen. La
Toilette, and that is not a sure sign
the special interests have triumphed.
Quite as frequently it is triumph of
common sense, one of the most desir-
abl things in government.
Judicial determination of the
status of a business enterprise is
certainly safer than affirmative
legislative enactment" because the
principles of judicial determination
are permanent while legislative en-
actment would fuctuate with public
opinion.
Lastly the expressed virtues of
Sen. LaFol1ette may safely be COM
pared with those of Pres. Taft. The
president cannot be charged with
OS4uS uOAA1ndISQ ny SpSCld1 pA4FA1SSS.
1t cannot be shown that he is oppos-
ed to real progressive government
although his ripe and candid judg
ment teaches him that mere change
may be something besides progress.
He is never afraid to appeal to the
people and must be acknowledged a
much more rational and safe leader
than Sen. LaFollette. A new poll
teal party would be necessary to
elect LaFollette president but we do