The Washington times., 1912-07-20
HERE'S WHAT IS
CALLED A TAFT
PROGRESSIVE
New Hampshire Editor Says
1t Is One Who Wants
Peace.
To the Editor Of THE TIMES:

To the Editor OF THE TIMES:
In your issue of last Saturday Is an
editorial entitled, What Is Taft
Progressive?" II Is written in a
facetious vein, apropos to a statement
in the Rochester. n. H, Courier to the
effect that "A Taft Progressive is about
the only sort Of candidate that can be
elected governor this fall" You con-
clude the editorial with this paragraph:
We and the rest OF the world are
waiting. Tell us more about it,
Taking you at your word, I will try
to tell you briefly what we mean by a
Taft Progressive In New Hampshire.
The Granite State is some distance from
the National Capital. and Washington
Is proverbialIy ignorant OF the political
situation In other sections of the
country. Hence. perhaps your question
is not so strange as 1t might seem.
New Hampshire has within the past
few, years earned the reputation of
| being one Of the most progressive States
In the Union. Dominated completely by
its big railroad corporation and large
| manufacturing interests that worked
with the railroad for many years. a
revolt was started in 1905, by a brave
| band, who burned all their bridges be-
hind them and entered the fight, when
all who beheld either sneered, belittled
| the movement, or despaired Of its ever
achieving anything. Winston Churchill
| was put forward as the candidate for
| governor OF the now historic thirteen
men who started this organization, at
| first under the name of the Lincoln Re-
publicans of New Hampshire, and later
as the Progressive Republicans.
| Churchill was defeated by fraud In
the convention, but the enthusiastic lit.
tie band kept up the fight, now largely
augmented in numbers. They finally got
control of the State, enacted a direct
| primary law, the first complete one II
the East, l believe, passed anti-free pass
legislation; established public service
commission with the fullest powers
| adopted a stringent corrupt practice!
act; and In a nutshell accomplished al
that had been aimed at and consider
able In addition that was not dreamed
of in the Inception of the movement
The State has been freed absolutely
from the railroad domination, and car
never go back to the old conditions.
Governor Bass was not one of tn
was Jealous convert, and had tn,
hearty support in his campaign OF al
the progressive party. He had 1t late
in his acts as governor, and from no
writer, who sacrificed time, money, ant
peace of mind to assist in the grea
work.
When. however, Governor Bass es
sayed to deliver the vote of 'he State L
Theodore Roosevelt for a third tern
In the Presidency, a large number o
J the governors associates AMI fellow
workers refused absolutely to follow
him. Opposed to boss rule as muCh a.
Governor Bass or any other man, alb
horring corrupt politics, and with thei
fighting togs still on against any form
OF corporation control, these men DIFF
!, fered from Governor Bass completed,
| as to the wise course to pursue In ma
tional politics. White admitting tina
President Taft had made mistakes DO
litically and deploring his seeming sur
render to the reactionaries at times
we still felt that heroic and statesman
like advocacy OF great measures, lik
universal arbitration of national differ
ences, reciprocity with Canada, an
many other things, far outweighed an
of these little political disappointment
| We felt a serious menace to our ma
tional institutions and Government A
the overweening ambitions OF the third
term seeker. We knew that Presiden
Taft had actually. done more to enforc
the Sherman antitrust law than hal
/ Mr.. Roosevelt. with all the latter
Accordingly, we called a meeting q
the prosressives of New Hampshire
who refused to follow the Governor
lead in this matter, and at this meetin