The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1912-10-23
are as YOU describe them.


Now that Wilson has won in Vir-
ginia through these progressives and
is about to be elected president as the
greatest progressive ever nominated
for that office, save Bryan alone, op-
ponents of Wilson come before young
voters and try to show that his cleo
tion would mean the dominance of the
very mon in Virvinita whom he has
put down. Did not Ryan spend $112,-
900 in the pre-convention effort to de-
feat Wilson? Ryan claims Virginia as
his home; he is defeated there and all
his on-hangers were overwhelmed at
Baltimore. Why should Wilson, vic
torious, turn to the man or men, who
did their utmost to ruin him, for coun-
sci in the hour of victory? To argue
that he will do so is to argue that
Roosevelt would repudiate the whole
progressive platform if elected.
I should like to say word about
the progressive trust plank, something
about Rooseyelt's strange alliances,
something Of the conduct Of the Chi
cago Roosevelt leaders who ran off to
Oyster Bay to persuade Roosevelt to
come into the campaign for the presi-
dency long before LaFollette's sup
posed breakdown in Philadelphia.
But a word about the progressive
trust solution must suffice. 1t pro-
poses a commission to regulate the
trusts. Is it not clear to thoughtful
men that this would mean a steady
Rehabilitation of Americansociety? The
government, all Of us, would under this
plan underwrite the trusts, validate
their claims and guarantee dividends
through prices high enough to make
them sure. That makes Morgan and
his few hundred satellites, who are di-
rectors of the big business of the coun-
try, semi-government officials, as the
great railway president and directors
are already semi-official in character,
Roosevelt and Taft both called these
men to counsel more earnestly than
they did chosen Representatives of the
people. Already the government for
bids labor unions among its hundreds
of thousands OF employees; and the
question is already up, shall labor
unions among railroad employees be for
hidden by law and the government
attitude is favorable to such view and
actually does interfere with strikes on
railroads the moment the mails are OBJ
stmcted 1t is only a matter of a
few years even with the best OF presi-
dents in Office when the railway em-
ployes will be in the position of serfs
to the government. The very nature
of the railway business compels this.
Would the progressives put all in
dustrial concerns in the same position
Do they really intend to deal blow
to the laBoring men by taking the di-
rectors of the trusts into the govern
ment and then leave the workers in
the position of seeking improvement
of their status by striking against the
government itself? I cannot think
that the wise progressive intend this;
they are carried off their feet for the
moment by appearances and promises.
| cannot understand why they see no
menace in this proposal of their plat
form, a menace which counterbalances
all the good that even the most san
guine can real into the Chicago pro-
gram. If we cannot make the trusts
obey good and perfectly plain law
of the nation we cannot Improve our
lot by surrendering to them. If we
are to become feudal subjects of the
great trusts let it not beNwith our con-
sent. Let's die fighting rather than
surrender and then beg mercy of a
brutal enemy