The Washington times., 1912-08-13
REACT|ONAR|ES
SEEKING TO SAVE
STATE MACHINES
Recognize the Hopelessness
of Trying to Re-
elect Taft.
CONTINUED from First Page.l

-
kota, Ohio, Oklahoma. Pennsylvania.
Rhode Island, South Carolina, South
Dakota, Tennessee, Texas. Utah. WASH
ington, West Virginia, Wisconsin. wy
yermont's legislature will meet De.
have no sessions till 1914 or 1915.
To Elect Many Senator'S
OF the States that have sessions the
coming winter, twenty-four will have
Senators to elect at these sessions. With
the Senate as close at II now stands,
and the country as bipartisan in It's
movement toward progressive ideas, the
matter has passed the range Of mere
party policy. Tories and reactionaries
of all parties and stripes must act to-
gether IL they are to save the Senate
T1 d0 Thsy are
Senator Penr6se, of Pennsylvania, the
bell wether of machine bosses, has CIV
en- the tip. and indicated just what lead
ers of hfs kind have in mind. Pennsyl-
headed by Henry g. Wasson as chair
man. Wasson is for Taft, but he oc-
cupies the anomalous position Of stand
ing on the highly progressive State plat
risburg convention. This platform de-
clares for the whole program of pro-
gressive acts. Enacted Into laws, il
would provide real. legal primaries for
fres a nomnaions ~ .ba would subject legsla
and officials to the recall; would stop
corruption OF elections, through corrupt
practices acts; and In general would in
augurate a new regime of popular rule
that would make 1t utterly impossible
Tor Penrose or any successor Of his in
future to boss the whole business of the
State.
Seeks to Depose Wasson.
Wasson, while standing for this legis-
lative program, Is going to support the
Republican candidates for Congress, the
Taft electors. and the Republican State
ticket. That looks regular enough; but
Penrose. following conferences with
some Of his lieutenants. has determined,
according to report which comes from
Phlladelphia today, to nave the national
committee depose Wasson from the
members ssas e tRs g3ae and w1h him all
are not loyal to the Penrose machine.
That means, of course, all who are not
willing to follow Penrose l nthe effort
to defeat the progressive legislative pro-
gram.
There Is even a threat of legal pro-
ceedings by the Penrose crowd to get
rid Of the pro- Roosevelt electors who
are on the Republican ticket in Penn
" ocooiip EeLOTtlHS TO Ine rem
rose threats Of these things, replied
that there would be no legal proceed
ings, because none would be needed
the Roosevelt electors would resign
and Taft men would be put in their
places. AS to the national committee
interfering and trying to depose Was
son as State chairman, Wasson Just
snorted. He said the national commit
tee, body with no legal standing
whatever would have q hard time un-
.rnY MI ~,
reconized by the law Of Pennsylvania
Then Mr.. Wasson handed out the def
ance which states the whole thing in a
nutshell-as to Pennsylvania. and as
to other States as we'll. He said:
That crowd the Penrose organiza-
tion) is working more for the defeat Of
the State ticket and the State legis-
lative program. than for the election of
President Taft"
Threatens a New Ticket.
There is the whole story. The State
ticket in Pennsylvania is a progressive
ticket. Most of the legislative nominees
are progressives. having been nominated
at the same time that Roosevelt swept
the State in the spring primaries. PEN
rose Is determined to beat State and
legislative tickets and legislative pro-
gram; to do II, he has even threatened
to put an independent Republican
State ticket In the field; which means, a
ticket of Taft-Penrose reactionaries.
This situation in Pennsylvania is pre-
cisely what the reactionaries propose to
bring to pass in just as many States
as possible. Wherever there is danger
that the incoming Legislature will be
progressive or radical; wherever there
Is threat of such measures as the Har-
risburg platform and the progressive
national platform have indorsed there
the tories will be found, forgetting
Taft, forgetting the Congressman, for
getting everything except the-as they
progressive programs, defeat proeres. OF M
sive legislators. and prevent the pas
sage of acts that would truly restore
the government to the hands Of the
people.
of both the national and the State
governments. The lines are getting ev.
cry daY more and more closely drawn