The Glenwood post., 1912-08-24
STEVENS CALLS
VlNCENT'S HufF
CONTINUED from page ons)

the western slope and appealed to your
friends to especially support Mr.. Grif
fifth and myself the two really pro
gressive candidates on the republican
ticket Not only that, but year after
that convention, at Montrose last Sep
tember. you and | made speeches from
the same platform favoring just such
movement as the one that produced
the Chicago convention. You were
most cordial to me then, and praised
my popular government pamphlet that
was being widely circulated, and
which contained nothing but old edit
orials and speeches favoring the initia-
tive and referendum and recall, which
| have unwaveringly favored for TWEEN
ty years. At this same conference you
will recall that you rather favored a
mild compromise note recall of judges
over the protests of Mr.. Costigan and
myself. At Colorado Springs l made
speech to the convention in which !
stated ! was and had been for twenty
years unequivocally for the initiative
and referendum, that l only favored
the compromise resolution because it
commanded the republicans of the leg
station for submitting it and was an
Endorsement of it. The resolution
adopted and which you now condemn
and which you endorsed in the cam
paign is identical with the one prepared
by Governor Shafroth and incorporated
in the democratic platform of that
year. You know that during that cam
paign. on the stump and in my daily
newspaper, l gave powerful support to
the initiative and referendum, SO pow
erful that those bent on defeating 1t
pastered the state with cards advising
the people to vote against me for the
reason that ! was such an ardent
champion of the initiative and referen
dunn. The nomination at Colorado
Springs was given to me unanimously.
never asked Senator Guggenheim, NJ.
Evans or anyone else for support and
never heard of any other candidate for
the place, and if there had been he
could have had it, as all my close
friends know. Had the initiative been
condemned / could not have accepted
the nomination. You know that con.
vention was the freest that ever met in
the state, and neither Mr.. Guggenheim
nor Mr.. Evans nor any boss controlled
it, Yes, favored indorsng the Taft
administration, which up to that time
had been reasonably progressive and
which Colonel Roosevelt was heartily
that the grand old party might be thu
progressive party of America. That
campaign demonstrated the futility of
trying to get fundamental reforms of
the character now sought through
either of the old parties, for however
earnest some members may be, honor
and decency require that they support
the victors at the primary polls or in
convention, and this sort of fight COM
promise is death and a failure to OBJ
serve the honor of gentlemen after par
ticipating is infamous. If my cam
pa gning in the party two years ago
is to be condemned, how much more is
your present effort within the party
ranks to be condemned and particularly
when you frankly avow your intention
of not abiding by the result if it goes
| against you. ] was nominated for SEN
ator over my protests and declination
and | have not yet accepted, but even
though | do not run ] shall be delight
ed to meet you in joint debate in Den
yer. Colorado Springs and Pueblo at
any time after August 26 that may
suit your convenience on the subject
You suggest, "The Propriety of Pro
gressive Republicans Participating in
the September Primaries If you
have ever had the misfortune of deat!,
in your family you will understand
what kept me away from Colorado all
spring and what is OBTAINING me now.
ISAAC N. STEVENS.