The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-08-18
Likewise, "ours'' is merely an organi-
zation and the other fellow IS a ''ma-
chino -
LA Fo1LErrE,s PLAIN TALK.

senator LIE Olette, III MS SeHSdtlouu
\ speech in the u. ). Senate on Friday
put matters squarely as between thu
VI Progressive movement and Col. Roosc
veIt. He showed not only that Col
Roosevelt had never been Progress
i've, but that his whole interest in the
movement attaches TO his personal am
bition. He points out the nndoubtcc
fact that when Roosevelt came into
the Presidency the formation of big
combines and trusts was in its infancy
and that Roosevelt neglected the great
opportunity to curb the formation OF
trusts and combines by enforcing the
Sherman antitrust law, But Roosevelt
fully ignored that law, and allowed the
trusts to grow ten fold during his ad-
ministratIon. His feeling has always
been, as he recently expressed himself,
that the Sherman law was never intend
cd to be enforced.
While this increase of ten fold in
capitalization of the trusts occurred
during Roosevelt s administration, not
only without his opposition but with
his actual help, the water in those
trusts increased to the tremendous
amount of seventy per cent.
These concise statements and this
direct arraignment of Colonel Roose-
Welt cannot possibly be explained away.
There is no question whatever about
the truth Of the presentation made by
Senator LaFollette, nor is there any
escape from the conclusion which he
enforced that Roosevelt has no real
standing as Progressive.
1t is quite appropriate that Senator
LaFollctte should make this showing,
because it is the clearest fact in our
present muddled political situation that
Roosevelt has stepped in and stolen
from LaFollette his prestige as leader
Of the Progressive element and seuti-
ment. Every one keeping in mind the
course of events of the year recalls
that Col Roosevelt visited Senator La
Toilette in Wisconsin, and that it was
not until after Roosevelt S assurance of
support and that Roosevelt himself
would not be candidate for the Pres
idency, that LaF'ollette announced his
candidacy. This LaF'ollette candidacy
was supported by Governor Johnson Of
California. by Clifford Pinchot, by for
mer Secretary Garfield, and by all of
The conservation claque until the Ohio
Progressive State convention last
spring, The endorsement Of Senator
LaFollette for the Presidential can
didate by that body would have been
decisive, and would have carried him
forward on the crest of the Progress
i've wave to the undoubted leadership
Of the Progressive movement, and the
candidacy Of the Progressive Repub
licans for the Presidency. He would
have stood better chance at Chicago
than Roosevelt could have stood, and
there would have been no such taint
upon his candidacy as there was upon
Roosevelt g. But right then and there
Pinchot, Garfield, and their fellow
Judases betrayed LaF'ollette, prevent
ed his being made the Progressive
choice, and 80 dampened the fire that
was carrying LaFollette to the high
mark Of success. It is undoubtedly true
that the Pinchots, the Johnsons, the
Garfields, and all that class meant to
betray LaFollette from the first They
gave in their adherence to him nomi-
nally, just as Roosevelt himself did, but
this was only for the purpose OF hav-
ing LaFollette start the ball and get
the Progressive movement fairly be-
fore the American people. AS soon as
he did that, the Roosevelt crowd
dropped him and deserted to Roosevelt,
Just as their treacherous inclination had
been TO do from the first. The sub.
sequent claim that LaFolIette could not
develop the strength necessary for the
Progressive leadership was an after,
thought, mean subterfuge in excuse
of their own treachery and double
dealing. 1t had the effect Of dazing
for the time, and break
ing him down physically, and wearing
him out for the time mentally. When
a man finds himself thus deserted by
those upon whom he depends. and who
had been his Jealous, shouting and
fighting friends for weeks, it is no
wonder that he loses faith in human
nature. and is for the time laid upon
the shelf. But LaFollette quickly raj
lied, and contrary to the desires and
of his betrayers, continued
his fight. He did not consent to be
deserted; he did not release Pinchot
OF any of the gang from his support;
although they deserted him, He told
them plainly that he would not release
them from their promise, and that il
they were bent On betraying him they
must do it as matter of betrayal and
treachery. and not as by a release from
him.
Senator Laf'ollette did not plan to
make the speech that he made on Fri
day arraigning Col, Roosevelt. He was
speaking to the point of the President S
veto Of the wool bill, and was drawn
out TO the personal references he made
by questions from Senator Stone of Mis-