East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1912-10-30

publican League tells why senator
La Follettes supporters and progress
sive republicans throughout the coun-
try should vote for Governor viii
son,
by John j. Blaine.
To the official record of the three
leading candidates for president we
must look for guidance in casting our
vote. Performances are to be cho-
sen rather than great promises.
President Taft promises nothing for
real democracy and has strenuously
/ opposed every movement making for
popular government. He failed to
fulfill his promise for genuine down
ward revision of thetariff He has
made no effort to enact a law for the
physical valuation of railroads and
other like public utilities. He gave
secret aid to and afterwards publicly
approved of the conduct of those
who were unlawfully plundering our
natural resources. He has opposed
| practically every economic advance.
! That he procured his nomination
/ through questionable methods there
can be no dispute. He has opposed
every instrument for popular govern
ment embracing the direct primary,
| presidential primary and the initia-
tive, referendum and recall. He has
no constructive policy for the proper
regulation or prevention of monopol-
1 les.
Mr.. Roosevelt as governor accom-
plished nothing for democracy. He
is unable to point to any constructive
work as governor, either in economic
development or governmental ma
chinery. As president he made no
attempt at any readjustment of the
tariff laws and since the enactment
of the Payne -Aldrich bill he has pub
licly approved it. To the monopoly
problem, he never brought the influ-
ence of his position to aid in the
proper regulation and prevention OF
monopolies multiplied like mush>
rooms and by his express consent he
permitted the extension of the steel
Trusts monopolizing power. During
his term of office he opposed all in
struments of popular government.
In those states where the fight was
hottest for the direct primary he al
lowed the federal machine by him
constituted to oppose their enactment
He sent Mr.. Taft who was then in
his cabinet, to oklahoma to defeat the
initiative referendum and recall
While the progressive states were
struggling for social justice and in
dustrial freedom, President Roose-
welt was giving aid and comfort to
its enemies through his all powerful
federal machine. He has favored one
thing today and something else to-
morrow During his entire Official
career as president he accomplished
nothing for the betterment of eco
nomc conditions or for the advance
ment of the instruments of popular
government.
Governor Wilson. with one branch
of the legislature opposed to him ac'
complished: The enactment of di-
rect primary law for all elective, state
and local officers direct primaries
for the United States senator and
presidential primaries with popular
expression for choice for president;
progressive public utility law; 9
broad workman's compensation law
commission form of government fol
cities: a corrupt practices act t.
prevent fraud and corruption at pri
maries and elections; laws for the
betterment of labor conditions anc
along other lines for economic bet
terment, permitting the people to rur
their own government With him the
progressive movement can not be re
tarded, displaced or turned aside, anC
he offers the only hope of protecting
and advancing economic justice, socia
development and a more genuine de
| mocracy.