New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-14
TESTING AND BEING TESTED

The plan of the Bull Moose party
to prepare and present to the Legislat-
ure various measures for social and
industrial reform will be useful to the
public or otherwise, according TO the
spirit Of the party leaders.
Mr.. RoOsevelts nephew, the new
state leader of the organization, is
quoted as saying: 1--WE are going to
put up lot Of Progressive legislation
Ito the men In Albany and let them
do with 1t what they will. There
were number of members Of the
'other parties declaring how progress
"sive they were during the election.
1--WE intend to put them to the test
That suggests that the party has taken
leaf out OF Mr.. Underwood's book
Of tactics, and is going to do as the
Democrats in Congress did last sum-
mer, when they put UP" things to the
President, not because they wanted to
secure reforms but because they
wanted to put Mr.. Taft lin hole
There are progressive measures and
Progressive measures. If the Roose-
welt party is merely playing politics
It will approach social and Industrial
questions in the spirit Of putting in
the hole" everybody who does not
agree with fits distinctive programme
of radical constitutional changes, and
it's bills will be separatist measures
laying less emphasis on the practical
betterment to be achieved than on the
peculiar methods to which the party
is committed. 1t will not care how
truly progressive measure may be
unless It is also Progressive and bears
the exclusive Bull Moose copyright
label. Such a policy might serve the
purposes Of politicians intent on selfish
party ends, but 1t would not help the
rank and file Of the people, who are
interested IN the substance and not
the form Of remedies.
II, on the other hand. Mr.. Roose-
velt's followers are unselfshly DESTROYS
of securing practical reforms they can
assist in the perfection Of constructive
measures which can be passed. Many
social and industrial questions will
come before the next Legislature. The
revelations regarding abuses in the
canning industry and the ills Of home
work on factory products emphasize
the need Of further safeguards for the
workers. The Factory Investigating
/ Commission is continuing its study ana
| promises to make important recon-
| mendations. Even the most enthu-
4 siastic Bull Moose cannot expect that
a Democratic Legislature will adopt
the dlstinctively Progressive schemes
which he would propose. IL he IS 10
assume a truculent ''take-it-or-leaye-1t
attitude. so far as he is a factor III
legislation. the women and children
will be sacrificed to the fabrication OF
party issues for 1915. If he is willing
10 cooperate TO help the women ana
children, he can be a useful aid III
the relief Of suffering, and can be so
without any compromise OF self
respect or any legislative deals.
The Bull Moose boast that they are
going to put others 10 the test. Tney
are going to put themselves to the test
and show whether they are practical
men aiding real reforms, or, In the
spirit Of the sectary, are merely haunt
ing an exclusive political creed. 1t Is
their time to make their record con-
corning what Mr.. Roosevelt once
called latitude and longitude in re-
formers"