The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1912-10-24
THE NEED OF "A NEW PARTY
BY e. II. CDnlolly.

1VhE NEED OF n NEW PAISTA
BY G. II. CDDaolly.
Was there a real call for the Pro-
gressive Party, or was it a cloak for
the personal ambition Of one man?
Mr.. Roosevelt. as everyone admits.
could have been renominated in 1908.
and it is a safe assertion that he
could have been reelected. He refus-
ed the office. though he had held but
one elective term. 1t is abused to
say that personal glory or over
whelming ambition which he spurn-
cd In 1908 posses him in 1912. He
was then in office, W it'll all the power
OF office-nothing but the will of d
people. untrammeled except by CO..
viction
There are millions who will accept
many OF the reforms advocated by
Socialists, as there were millions who
adopted many OF the reforms of Pop
ulism, but }they are rot willing to go
to the extreme Of Socialism, any
more than they were willing to go 70
the extreme Of Populism. The in
centive to be somebody
chance to make the race and to reach
achieyement--is. one OF the highest
ideals of American citizenship. It
has made this country great In it's
men, In its measures, in its develop
ed resources. This is one of the
things that, in way, Socialism
would destroy. Provided this strug-
gle in an equal one, 1t is as precious
to the heart of youth and middle age
as the victory itself. The system OF
bossism in both old parties has de-
Stroyed this fine American ideal, net
only in politics, but in business, for
the political ramifications which cen
ter in the political boss reach out tn
TO the highways and byways Of bus
ness life. | have seen the finest
flower, of American manhood rele-
gated to the scrapheap because of ia
dependence: not ceptious indepen-
dence, but that independence which
refused to cross the line between
what was distinctively right ami
what was unmistakably wrong To
be anybody, to get anywhere, you
had to take orders, and obey them.
Theat these orders might conflict
with your sense Of right and wrong
made no difference. 1t is not new
thing, to be sure, but its poison had
gotten so far into the life OF TIE
old parties that it could not be era g.
icated from within. 1t had to be AS
sailed from without
In every state, huadre1s OF young
and middle age men Of the finest type
and of the highest ac:litS were wait
ing for the movement. They wee
disgusted with the attempt to break
the power OF the Republican boss at
the polls, only to find that they had
by their votes set mp Democratic
oss just as bad, and just as friendly
with the Interests which secured
special privileges By legislation.
AS rufe,- the public en- masse doc:;
not reason. But it mas Imagination
and when the shots which struck
down Rosenthal on 4 brilliant lighted
street Of New York Cfty--a scene as
carefully staged as play, with po-
i'>OuSh chrth6 DOhS
instictively knew that behind the
shots was conspiracy Of crime and
corruption so deep that it was i'm
possible to solnd it. They saw thct
in the metropolis Of their nation, the
life OF a witness against misrule was
desperately unsafe. Conditions weru
little better in the capital than they
we're in the METROPOLIS Of the grea7-
est State Of the talon. 4 Dem ocrati:
boss ruled in one, Republican boss
in the other. Boss Itile, with its &C.
cOmpanyin& corruption. had eaten in.
to the very heart Of cur highest civ.
ilization. In Cincinnati. George y
Cox had Tavished an looted great
city. He sprang from the Tender
loin. Politics made him the presl
dent OF great trust company. fin
ancial power in tho city. He con
trolled In large part the theatres
His word for or against the nomina
ton Of any judicial candidate on th'
Republican ticket was final; no ma
could be prosecuted without his con
sent. Every elected office-holdc
surrendered the appo;ntement Of hi