The Washington times., 1912-07-25
PROGRESSINES NOT !.
KEEN FOR SUPPORT
Men Who Are Read Out of Republican Party Get Bigger
Majorties In Their Home Districts - Figures
Prove This Fact.
By JuDsor .. wELI1vER.

The Republican Congressional. cam
paign committee has resolved that II
will not lend it's aid to Congressional
candidates who are going to support tho
progressive cause. Congressmen and
Candidates for Congress who want the
highly influential support of this organ
ixation, will have to be for President
Taft. and the entire program Of the
standpat wing Of the party.
This will be accepted by some irno-
cent people as hard blow to the pro-
gressives in Congress. but II will not
worry the progressives much. They
have discovered that about the time q
Congressman gets 30 notoriously pro-
gressive, 30 rankly insurgent, that he
is read out Of the party by the author
tiles, and disowned by the Congress
sional committee, he is SO strong with
the people at home that he doesn't
need any support except what they
are anxious to give him.
Committee a Joke.
In fact, the Congressional campaign
committee has become a good deal Of
a Joke in recent time. Take 1908 and
1910 election returns for example. In
lSUo 6N6FytUiHS was Tt6uldTB tUC
tional committee and the Congressional
committee, progressives, insurgents, reg
ulars, Roosevelt followers, and Taft
supporters. were all under the same
tent, and the Republicans swept the
country and elected big majority to
the house.
Insurgency busted itself Immediately
thereafter. It was the burning issue
down to the 1910 election. Before the
1910 campaign was fairly started, the
insurgents had been read out OF the
party by Senator Aldrich, Speaker Can
body else who pretended to any real
political authority. The insurgents had
to go 1t alone, and 1t was trying time,
because the country was disposed to
But how did the election actually re-
suit?
Some Insurgent Figures.
The figures show that insurgents-they
are called progressives, now-generally
came through that Democratic landslide
year in better shape than ever before
Here are some figures: ..
In 1905, with everything fine and
regular" Victor Murdock ran for
reelection In the Eighth Kansas
district. He polled 19.02s votes. while
his Democratic opponent. F. B. LAW
renee, got 13.477. -
Right comfortable plurality. that
ssoaa ss If sSs countsgg sheaa
slump Off to Democracy. the national
committee should get a crouch and
the Congressional committee should
decide that Vic wasn't entitled to
cut and he defeated. Those condi-
tions arose IN 1910: and look at the
figures!
There was no Democratic candidate.
and George Burnett. Socialist, his only
opponent, got 2.354!''" e
'..' "Disowning" No Harm. 2,
Evidently. being "disowned" by the
powers or organization and regular
ity didn't injure Mr.. Murdock much.
That same year of 1912, Charles f.
Scott, in the Second Kansas district,
a regIiar Of the regulars, supported
by all organizations. reputed to be. a
possible successor to the Secretary
ship of Agriculture, was defeated for
tHH'o The case Of Philip p. Gsmpbeli, OF
the Third Kansas, also suggests for
chilly the puissance of regular" sup
port. Campbell has been the most
the old Cannon Taft regime. that
there has been in Kansas. He had
all the powers supporting him in
them all Supporting him again in
1910. and got S28 plurality!
That is, while Murdoch. insurgent
with Congressional committee, nationa
committee. and all the regular instru'
mentalities hostile. raised his plurality
from 5,5S2 to. 12SS5; Mr.. Campbell, with
all these same forces fighting hard fol
him, had his plurality reduced from
$3.50 to 828 -. ...~'
1t doesn't seem remarkable on the
Sece Of these figures, that progressive
Congressman are grinnfng broadly a
the announcement that the Congression
al committee isn't going to help then
bit, b'gosh! : 4.f'n.' so
bard of Iowa, one of the most persist