The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-07-29
THE PROGRESSIVE REPUBLICANS.


Chicago 10 meet there next Monda.
I is good delegation, strong and vel
chosen. The action of the convention
in unanimously deciding to put III
local tickets, State, Congressional an'
Judicial and Senatorial district as wei
as county tickets, is omphatically Il
be commended, for only thus can
new party strike its roots into the sol
and become really II party of the peo
pie. 4 party which would merely un
dertake TO act in National affairs
would have no steady anchorage II
the popular mind. since the people
would be chiefly taken up with then
local political aspirations, activities
and developments. The convention
therefore, not only adopted the part
of wisdom in deciding to have local
tickets, but it accepted the only pos
sible course which would give il
strength among the people and draw
popular attention to itself and to its
claims
The melting cause of this Progress
sive movement in Utah is primarily
the Roosevelt ambition to run for
President this year. With this cause
and this ambition, The Tribune has no
sympathy whatever. But we consider
that the Progressive Republicans in
this State have grievance right here
at home that far outweighs any inter
est which they might feel in the per-
sonal fortunes Of Col, Roosevelt. For
many years there has been In this
State a dominating machine which has
out all individual effort OF
spontaneity in politics. and has crushed
into the earth the ambitions of men
far better qualified for office and for
party leadership, and far more devoted
to the public interests, than the selfish
who, by reason Of their ma
chine organization, have wormed them
selves into office III Utah from State
office all the way down to school dis
trict positions, The people have been
very tired of this for long time, and
now this popular feeling can get full
through the Progressive Re
publican activities, Without any re-
gard to Roosevelt whatever, there is
ample reason in this State for the
organization OF m anti.mac chine Re
publican party: and when we consider
hat the bosses and manIpulators of
his machine are the boiling clement
IF the party in this city, and that they
we're given control Of the party not for
any political reason, but by the favor
Of power that has no proper func-
ton in politics at all, the effort to re-
the Republican party on pop
liar lines deserves encouragement.
The machine leaders Of the bogus Re-
publican party of this State for the
oast decade were the leaders in the
)olting movement in this city, and have
10 party claim whatever to regularity.
The Progressive Republicans, as soon
Is they get full control here, will be
July justified in treating the machine
yang as boilers and political outlaws,
which they are.
In the organization of this new party
lnd the running Of State ticket for
hat party, the old machine element
sees its finish Therefore it is bitter,
and false in claims and
n its argument against the new move
nent. The Progressive Republicans
Will probably be able to beat the ma
,hlne State ticket, and Will be the
dominant party in Utah before many
years.
In this judicial district especially,
here Is room for q clean, nonpartisau
ticket, since the nominees now before
he people here were nominated dis.
inctly, ayowedly, and emphatically as
partisans, The organ Of the
Federal bunch made this entirely plain
1t the time the judicial nominating
was held. 1t stated not
,nly the desirability of having parti-
ian judges, but the desira ability of such
Judges being men who Will "radiate a
constant influence in favor of the
party OF which they are mem-
1ers. Of course. since thev are eI-
,ected to radiate this partisan in
luence and 10 do so constantly, it will
oe necessary for them to radiate that
influence from the bench. That the
Judiciary here has not been free from
lust that sort Of radiation all close
observers will have to admit. But it
S desirable to have judges of quite
different sort from that; and if the
Republicans will nominate
n this district good men for Judges,
Without making them openly and avow-
,dly partisan judges. there ought to
De q good chance to elect their five
candidates in the Third judicial dis
rict.
The convention was well attended,
/ was enthusiastic. its purposes are in
general 10 be commended. But what
ever else may he said about il. the
fact that these men and women have
the perfect right. without being criti-
.ised or abused, TO organize the Pro
gressive Republican party in Utah, Is
beyond the slightest question, and we
commend them for their zeal and their
determination 10 amend the political