Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1912-08-14
PROGRESSIVE VS.. PROGRESSIVE.
LaFollette on Roosevelt-Latter Put
the Man Before the Cause.
[LaFolletts's Weekry.l

OF his nomination, marshalling all his
forces, Drawing Tammany and the trusts
to rescue his party from their domination,
carrying the convention for the adoption
of the most progressive democratic plat
form yet offered and the nomination OF
the most progressive democratic candidate
available, was towering figure of moral
power and patriotic devotion to civic
| righteousness.
Roosevelt at Chicago, backed by money
derived from the stock watering opera
tions of the Steel trust and the Harvester
trust, organizing what are now confessed
to have been fake contests as to nearly 200
delegates in order to control the republi-
can convention and SECURE his own nomi-
nation, refusing to aid in making a pro-
gressive platform, bound to have the no.
mination or destroy the republican party,
was most striking example of misdirect
ed power and unworthy ambition.
Roosevelt had as great an opportunity
to serve the progressive cause at Chicago
as Bryan had at Baltimore. But Roosevelt
was serving the man, not the cause. He
wanted one thing-he wanted the nominal
ton. And yet he did not have enough
votes to nominate himself upon any
honest basis. He did have enough dele
gates in that convention ultimately to
have nominated real progressive and
adopted strong progressive platform.
He could even have nominated Hadley on
such platform, aud progressive republic
cans could have supported Hadley in
| r;t -
thousands of them will now support
Wilson. Neither Hadley nor Wilson is
veteran in the progressive ranks. Neither
OF them has been tried by the severest
tests. Both appear to be men Of high
ideals, whose records, though short, give
promise.
But Roosevelt would not consider Had
ley. He would have no one but himself.
At the first suggestion of Hadley he or
lose his followers.
il he had the evidence to prove that Taft
could not be honestly and fairly nomi-
mated, why did he not direct his lieuten-
ants to present that evidence to the
national committee, and then to the con-
vention and the country, so clearly that
the convention would not have dared to
nominate Taft and that Taft could not, in
honor, have accepted the nomination if
made.
The reason is obvious. An analysis OF
the testimony will, am convinced, show
that neither Taft nor Roosevelt had a
majority Of honestly or regularly elected
delegates. This the managers upon both
sides well understood. Each candidate
was trying to seat a sufficient number of
fraudulently credentialed delegates,
added to those regularly chosen, to sup
port him, to secure control Of the conven-
ton, and "steam roll" the nominations.
1t was proceeding with which each was
acquainted, and which each had sanctioned
in prior conventions.
This explains the extraordinary conduct
Of Roosevelt. He could not enter upon
such analysis Of the evidence as would
prove Taft's regularly-elected delegates in
the minority without inevitably subject
ing his own spuriously -credentialed dele
gates to an examination SO critical as
would expose the falsity Of his own con-
tention that he had an honestly elected
majority Of the delegates. He, therefore,
deliberately chose to claim everything, to
bully the national committee and the con-
vention, and having thus created con-
dition which would make impossible a
calm investigation of cases upon merit,
carry the convention by storm.
That this is the true psychology of the
Roosevelt proceedings becomes perfectly
4 Ioi ua 70
nomination or smash the convention. He
was not there to preserve the integrity OF
the republican party and make it an instru-
ment for the promotion of progressive
principles and the restoration of govern
ment to the people. Otherwise he would
have directed his floor managers to con-
test every inch OF the ground for pro-
gressive platform before the committee on
resolutions and in the open convention.
But Mr.. Roosevelt was not governed by
a suggestion Of that spirit Of high pa
triotic and unselfish purpose of which
Bryan furnished magnificent example one
week later in the democratic convention
at Baltimore. Instead, he filed the public
ear with sound and fury. He ruthlessly
sacrificed everything to the one idea of
his being the one candidate. he gagged
his followers in the convention without
putting on record any facts upon which
the public could base a definite, intelli-
gent judgment regarding the validity of
Taft's nomination. He submitted no sug-
gestion as to platform of progressive
principles. He clamored loudly for purg-
ing the convention roll Of talented dele
gates, without purging his own candidacy
of his tainted contests and his tainted
trust support. He offered no reason for a
third party except his own overmastering
craving for third term.
KlTTERY TO CARIBOU.
The stable of the Exchange hotel at