New-York tribune., 1912-01-21
THE PROGRESSIVE BREAKUP.

THE PROGRESSIVE BREAh-OF'
Senator CumminS'S announcement that
he will no longer oppose the desire OIL
his followers in Iowa to present Dis
name as a candidate for the Republican
Presidential nomination necessitates
reconsideration Of who's who and What 5
what in Progressive politics. Eviden'-
ly the Progressive movement mas
progressed" far beyond the capacity ol
the politicians directing it to determine
"where they are at" Only rev
months ago q solemn assemblage, de-
scribed by its promoters as Progress
sive Republican national conference
met in Chicago and declared that the
Hon. Robert NJ. La Toilette was the rising
hope toward whom the whole insurgent
movement turned. II promised him
united support in his candidacy for the
Republican nomination and conveyed to
him the assurance that the Progressive
forces would follow him unfalterinGly
into the imminent deadly breach or
wherever else his quest OF factionai
and party leadership should carry him.
So far as they could bind themselves
to anything, the delegates to the Chicago
conference, claiming to represent insur-
gent sentiment everywhere, took upon
themselves a moral obligation to work
increasingly and Loyalty for Mr.. La Fol
lette'S nomination.
Yet the ink was hardly dry upon those
nledrps when some Of these same poll
ticians began to cast anchors to wind
ward. The Ohio Progressive League at
a meeting at which many leading spirits
in the Chicago conference were present,
adopted q resolution annulling the La
Toilette Endorsement and declaring IT.
self free TO support any other candidate,
though salving the stab by expressing
continuing belief in the Wisconsin Sena-
tors availability. Now the Iowa con-
tingent has decided TO recall its promises
of support, for it is evident that Mr..
Cummins would not have announced his
candidacy had the way not already peeh
cleared for il in his home state.
II may be that the Ohio and Iowa Fro
gressives think that what a national
Progressive conference did in 1911 need
not bn taken seriously in 1912. Mr.. Cum-
MINIS says that "the situation has mate
rally changed" and that consequently 1t
is time for new deal. Yet the public,
which is asked to cOndone this haSty
reputation of last years political debts,
can see no change in the situation sufil-
cient 10 warrant wiping the 1911 slate
clean. The insurgent movement in Con-
gress attained considerable momentum
in 1910 because it seemed to have some
stability Of political conviction behind
II. But it's moral influence shrivelled
when the fight on the Canadian reel
procitv agreement showed that the in
surgents were not willing TO practise
what they preached On the first test
to which their breadth OF vision and
disinterestedness were put they petered
out. The Ohio secession and the Cum
Minis candidacy are only further evil
dences Of the lack OF consistency and
moral fibre from which the Progressive
movement has suffered. 1t has now de-
generated into mere vehicle for ex
plotting the ambitions Of Self-seeking
politicians. Mr.. La Toilette Is 10 be
commiserated with if he ever took the
coddling assurances Of the Progressive
conference last October ,as anything but
promises made to the ear and intended.
whenever convenient to be broken to
the hone