Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1912-09-30
REAL PROGRESSIVE.
From Democratic NaNtional Commit
tee.
(By Frederick w. Steckman.

CBy Frederick w. Steckman.
st. Louis. Mo-, Sept 27.-The cry
lof the Third Term candidate that
human rights may be assured the
great mass Of people only by putting
him in the White House for another
four years has caused a litter Of mer-
riment to spread over Missouri.
If there is M commonwealth in
the Union that can throw this can't
ing phrase back into the teeth of the
Roosevelt rooters it is the Show Me"
lstate.
Human rights has been the slo-
gan and the watchword OF the Mis-
souri, Democracy for many years. The
statute books of the state TEEN today
with real progressive laws, not theo-
ries, but actualities.
Missouri boasts as many. II not
more, social betterment laws as any
other state. And everyone of these
acts Of humanity have been passed
by democratic legislatures.
The Initiative and Referendum,
which the third termers would try
to make the unthinking believe Is an
original discovery. has been a part
of the Missouri Constitution for eight
years. A Democratic majority put it
there.
The Nine-Hour Workday law for
women was enacted by the last Mis-
souri, Legislature, both branches OF
which were in the control of the
Democrats.
Eight years ago Missouri adopted
"a child labor and compulsory educa-
ton act. Two years ago this law was
amended so as to make II applicable
to the entire state instead Of to only
large cities.
Mrs. E. M. Grossman wife of the
assistant treasurer OF the Democratic
national committee, was largely in<
strumental in the passage Of the two
latter laws, and to her and the late
Senator Thomas E. Kinney, whose
Democracy never was questioned, be-
longs most OF the credit for their
present successful operation.
An inspection of the Missouri stat
lutte books might lead n to believe
that the Third Term party platform
trainers had many OF It's sections be-
fore them when they drafted the doc
ument on which they are now seek
ling recognition.
Missouri has a corrupt practises
act. direct primary and senatorial
primary laws; an antitrust law
strong enough to bring the powerful
standard OIL and International Har-
~yester trusts to their knees. and an
a%nti-lobby act. which drove from the
state capital two years g every
special privilege representative and
forced the railroads to acknowledge
that their rights were not superior
to those of the common people.
II was during the administrator or
Joseph w. Folk that the humanity
laws found their way to the Missouri
statute books, but n must go back
further to find the inauguration OF
remedial measures that the Third
lTermers now would claim as their
very own
A brief comparison of the systems
employed by the Democratic Missouri
Legislature and the Republican gen.
eral assembly of Illinois affords a
striking example Of the progress OF
the former and the standpat prociiv-
titles of the latter.
In Missouri 1t Is impossible Tor
jackpots to flourish for the very
good reason that every precaution
has been taken to keep the search
light on the operations OF the iegls-
E~lators. For instance, In Missouri the
speaker Of the House and the Presi-
dent or the Senate must announce
their committee appointments Defore
bills are introduced and a ten-daS
limit is set as the time any bill may
lremain in committee.
In Illinois the committees are not
a~ppointed until after the bills are pre-
sented. or the great bulk OF them
and there is no limit upon the tine
a committee may keep a bill. TO the
man familiar with Legislative analrs
HI IL readily apparent why the lobby
lists at Springfield. Ill. have the whip
hand in the legislature Of Lincoln
state and why it Is impossible for
these same tools OF the Interests 70
throttle good laws offered in the state
iof Benton, Vest and Cockreil.
Under Republican rule In Illinois
members Of the legislature receive
L. ~ovaoart salary of $2,0OU q