Arizona republican., 1912-08-05
WHAT IS A PROGRESSIVE?
the Editor of The Republican

1 Sir: What is Progressive? I 1 have heard this question propounded | frequently. I have asked it of men in l politics and out but so far have been I unable to elicit satisfying answer. "A man who believes in the people ruling" "One who believes in pop ular government" These are the most common answers. I believe in those ! things myself. but yet I am called a reactionary, a Stand batter.
 Government of the people. by the people. said Lincoln, in his immortal 1 speech at Gettysburg. Government 1 of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth" are the words I believe he used Therefore it is to be admitted that such a system of government was in operation in the United States a that time and for half century before. Has this system of government chang ed since then? I think not This is | essentially a popular government, one | in which the voice of the people speaks through their representatives. l The people, the masses, get just such l representatives in their legislatures or i in their executive or judicial offices as they elect, no more and no less. Is this country in bad way? Does 1 it need q new Rienzi? No! The | great mass of the people are still of good. sound, hard headed, hard think ing American stock. No man or CO., terie of men can stand against pub | lie opinion and no measure can do much harm on tie statutes if the l mass of the people are opposed to it ! nor much good if the, mass of the people are not behind it.
 We hear great deal of reform and of the need of it. It may be true that we need it. No doubt but that 1 abuses have crept in. l do not care tc dispute it, but is il.novation neces- sary to reform? Do we not need eVo- 1 lution rather than revolution:
 i Let us hark back to the mother l country Was there ever a govern
 ment more corrupt than that of Eng | land under the Stuarts or under the l first three Georges? It was Sir Robt. Walpole who openly bOasted without a blush of shame that every man had his price, and he proved it too. He 1 bought men and votes as openly as 1 the modern farmer buys hogs. When we look back at the time of the revo-
 
 1 to be overcome with bathing and i disgust at the traitorous intriguing of 1 the men then in public life, at such
 mon as Marlborough who. while kiss | ing the hand of the king in London, was sending letters of sympathy and | enCoura cement to the king at Yer ! sailles. It was this corruption that l lost England her American colonies. 1 But what d different spectacle is be- l fore Us today, We now point to | England as a model of clean, free government and she deserves our en- l comiums. We hear on every hand praise of her courts and judicial sys- | tenn yet nowhere was the bench more corrupt and the judges greater tools
 of power and interest than in England | under the Georges. Yet all this was l changed. Reforms were instituted. l Crown. lords. commons. the judicial | system and the system of admins l tration were purged of corruption, but these institutions were not changed. | The entire system was as before free
 of corruption but all there in all it's 1 early and honest vigor.
 Sovereign reason should he para mount to all forms of legislation, and not caprice. opinion, fancy or will. | Government was created for that very purpose. Government is reason and is | necessarily opposed to will and caprice whether the capricious be reformers. governors, legislatures or peoples. Did we but listen to those who go up and down the land preaching in
 novation and revolution; ito these harpies, who deck themselves in div inc attributes, but who are in reality foul and ravenous birds of prey, flut- ter over our heads and souse down upon our tables, and leave nothing unrent; unified, unravaged or un- polluted" we would soon have noth- ing left secure not even our lives, our liberties or our right to the pursuit of happiness.
 Anarchy has raised its gOry head in the land. shrieking it's bloody pae- ans aiming it's vicious doctrines in
 our ears without let or hindrance. So- cialisms ragged form stalks up and down the highways and byways. preaching it's impossible doctrines and propounding it's impossible panaceas. Conservatism is a crime and conSer- vative men are afraid to give utter l ance to their thoughts for fear that punishment or revenge will be Wreak- ed upon them by way of boycott or 1 injury to their business. The consu- tuition of these United States Is a thing to be held up to scorn and the l flag of the country, country whose doors are open to the unfortunate and oppressed of all the world, has been vilely insulted on both the coasts Of I the Atlantic and of the Pacific.
 | We have before us the spectacle or | d man who has been honored by hls countrymen above all other men be- craving his friends, a traitor to hls party, shreking forth vile anathema5 1 at men in the highest places, attempt | ing to drag the dignity of the presl-