The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-03-10

there was, he said:
Il am glad of it, for if the ndwspa.
permen become plutocrats, there will
be no one left to speak for the poor
After the Swedish American League
banquet he attended reception by
the Traffic Club.
Defends Administration.
Defending his administration
as successfully progressive in
deeds. President Taft tonight
opened his campaign in the
west with discussion of the progress
sive movement that reached the con-
clusion progressive is as progressive
does.''
The president spoke at the ban
quet of the Swedish American Repub-
lican League.
The president defended himself
from the charge that his attitude on
public questions showed "distrust
OF the American people. and attacked
those who constantly fawn upon the
people, as If they were incapable Of
action After pointing with pride"
to the achievements of the republican
party in the past fifty years, the
president said:
II agree that party may serve the
public we'll and then cease to be USE
full, and that it is in it's performance
in the immediate past and the prob
ability Of its performances in the ii11-
mediate future that we are to find a
reason for it's continuance in power.
in the history OF politics from
time to time, new phrases are coined
to characterize new issues and new
movements. One of the terms which
has come into constant use today is
progressive and it is supposed to in
dictate the opposite of reactionary or
.ultra-conservative' Men differ as to
what progressive policies are, but
perhaps we can reach definition that
will suit everybody by tracing the his
| tory OF the progressive movement and
| its ultimate Objects
| The president traced the concentra-
ton of wealth and the great indus
| trial developments that caused it, for
two decades prior to 1900
In Hands Of Corporations.
4 1.-THE vast industrial resources OF
the country in the west, which then
seemed SO cheap, were parted with by
the public, he said. ito turn up in the
hands of corporate agents and to have
an enormous value and monopolis
tic character that completely changed
the attitude of the people and startled
them into the necessity for direct
change Of policy. Then the money
4 which the corporations had at theil
4 disposal to protect their privileges
and property and even to extenf
4 them, was not infrequently used tx
4 corrupt the instrumentalities of gov
+ eminent and to obstruct the expires
sion OF the will OF the people in tn,
change of laws, the closer regulation
), OF every public utility corporation
and the closest and narrowest scru
tiny in the further granting of pub
. lie franchises.
During the administration OF m.
distinguished predecessor and by hi
| appeals to congress and to the public
! the people, and especially bushes
| communities were aroused to the ne
Z cessity for action. The great publ
$ benefit arising from this movement
e cannot be overestimated. 1t put tn
: people on guard in every state and i
every community. In the halls of ne
tional legislation, the antitrust lay
and the interstate commerce law wer
g both passed some time before thi
e movement reached its height. TIL
o problems to be met were new for TIL
a country; the legislation adapted t
i. solve them was matter of exper
e ment. The issues presented to tn