Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1912-06-27
THEY HATE TO LEAVE TIE FLESH
POTS.

( Just as the Jews of old were afraid
to leave the flesh pots of Egypt and
l .deIgo the hardships and deprivations
OF the desert, even with a prospect of
pei sonal freedom, ana a new and
permanent home beyond, so a num-
Der of the old Republican leaders who
induced Roosevelt to enter the field as
a candidate, and who stood by him in
the fight at Chicago, refuse to leave
the flesh pots of their party and enter
into the uncertainties of a third party.
To normally renounce the Republican
party and enlist themselves under the
banner of Roosevelt's Progressive
party" would mean with number of
tnem, at last, the loss of the prestige
they now enjoy, the loss of official
place, the loss of the control OF the
party machinery. And so they either
hesitate, or decline, to follow their
Moses where he would lead.
only the impetuous Johnson, OF Cal
ifornia of the seven governors, seems
willing and determined to risk all on a
break from the old organization and
to cast in his political fortunes fully
and definitely with the new party. It
is pointed out that Johnson and the
"Progressives" control the party ma
Chinery in California, and they can do
this with less eminent danger of
personal disadvantage than could the
governors of the other states who raj
lied to Roosevelt but refuse to go be-
yond the convention.
Pinchot Garfield, and others of the
leading Pragressives, too, it is pointed
cut, are men not in control of the par
ty machinery. They have much to gain
by the creation of new party, espec
tally if it is prosperous and successful.
in this or the next campaign. They
hold no offices under the Republican
party, they have nothing to give up in
the way of present honors or emolu-
ments, and as leaders of a new party
they loom more prominently before
the public than as simple lieutenants
in the ranks of the old organization.
1t is quite noticeable that the office
holders who were behind Roosevelt,
that is, the governors, senators, repre-
sentatives, and others of that class,
became more conservative after the
close of the convention. Hadley, OF
Missouri, Senator Borah, of Idaho, ana
otaers refused fiat footed to be lead
into the preliminary movement for the
inauguration of new organization.
They would fight for progressive re-
forms inside the party lines, they de
clared, although it must have been ap-
parent to them that for the next four
years, at least, the prospects of any
reforms were absolutely nil so far as
their old party is concerned. La Fol
lette, too, from whom so much had
been expected, sore, chagrined, render
cd antagonistic by his own showing
aside by Roosevelt, also stays within
the old organization. Many others of
those who fought for and with RoOse
welt are likely to adopt this same atti-
tude. The organization of the new
party will evidently be largely left to
the men who are not office holders, to
those who would suffer least by its
subsequent collapse
There will be enough of this class,
though, full of enthusiasm, almost fan
atical in their devotion either to Roose-
welt or to the reform measures they
have been advocating, to make up a
formidable organization. They are
fiery orators, they will have ample
means, they will have a campatgner Of
tremendous powers leading them in the
person of the former president, and the
wide swath they will cut into the ranks
of the Republican party n every state
North and West will reduce its
strength far below that of four years
ago And it may not be altogether an
element of weakness n a new party
! not to be led by officehOlders, whether
they be of high or of low degree The
absence of the senators and represen-
tatives and governors from the array
of leaders may be one of the very
things that will appeal to the masses
of the party as indicating an entirely
new deal and an utter absence Of the
cid bOssism and its vicious alliances.
Bryan intimates that a third party
may be necessary if the Democratic
party falls down at Baltimore. That
Chicago convention evidently put some
ideas into Bryan's head.