The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1912-08-22

velopment OF American resources has
proceeded with amazing rapidity.
Along with the development Of our
natural resources has been the remark
able growth of American industry.
During recent Years all the great
lines Of business controlling the neces-
saries OF life have bsen organized and
concentrated into corporations Of stu
pendous size. More and more compe-
titiOI ha3 been destroyed and monopoly
established effecting most Of the COM
mon necessaries consumed by the gen.
eral public. Through contributions to
campaigns and active participation in
public affairs these big corporations
and trusts have corrupted politics and
given rise to all those economic and
political evils growing out of the sim
lister alliance between crooked big bus
mess on the one hand and corrupt po-
litlcal bosses on the other. So that
the functions Of government, state and
national, have been perverted almost
entirely from the protection Of the ma
ny and the general welfare to the pro-
lection and the promotion of the spe-
cial Interests Of the favored few. This
abnormal economic and political situa-
ton has justly alarmed the friends Of
the people and brought forth a pro-
gressive movement which threatens to
control or destroy the two great ex-
listing political parties.
The Progressive Movement.
This Progressive Movement is fun
administration of government as in
terpreted by the servers of favored in
terests and embraces the best rene
dies offered by the advanced thought
of the country for the existing indus
trial and political evils StrUngci
than party ties it IS linked with the
real and vital welfare of the great
mass of the people and is inseparab!e
from the future progress and happi-
ness Of the nation. Through the bril-
liant advocacy of Col. William ]. Bry-
an 1T has finally secured control Of
the Democratic party. In Wisconsin
Senator Robert NJ La Toilette gave
the country an inspiring example If
what Progressive Principles enacted
into law mean for the general social
and political progress of the people.
President Roosevelt introduced Pro-
gresslve Principles into national affairs
while in office and gave to the move
ment its decided ascendancy when he
openly chamEioned it from the plat:
form.
Progressive Principles.
The chief Progressive Principles in
cludo the revision of the tariff in the
interest of the people; the regulation
OF trusts and publicservice corpora
lions In behalf Of the general public;
the equalization of the burdens of tax
alton by taxing the newer and more
modern forms Of wealth. the initiation
OF legislation by the people which they
want and which their representatives
refuse to give because of the influence
of special interests; the referendum
to enable the people to defeat meas
ures antagcmistic to the public veal
and which were put through by the
combination Of the political boss and
the representatives of crooked bust
ness; the recall to restore to the people
the power to remove from office such
officials as have proven recrcant to the
public good; the conservation of our
natural resources for the people in
stead of selling them to private inter
ests for private and personal gain; and
the direct primaries for the nomlna-
tion of such state and national officers
as will restore to the people the DOW
er to effectively rule themselves and
to destroy the financial and political
oligarchya Whose domination in politics
has been attended with so much in
dustrial injustice and political scan
dial.
The Preconvention Campaign in the
Republican Party.
In 1908 President Taft entered upon
the duties Of his office pledged to
carry out the Progressive policies Of
President Roosevelt. He began to re-
pudiate them in his inaugural adj
dress when he announced that he
would not appoint black citizens to
office in She South where the whites
objected. He surrender - the in
huencc of predatory weS Z r.
IT. the conservation Of = 1rces,
the control Of trusts, ode such
mistakes in his appoin Its and with
rsCiDrOCitY with Car ada that whom