The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1912-09-05
PROCRESSIVES WORK IN CONGRESS REVIEW
The Sugar Schedule Why the Difference Between the
Prosressives of Two Parties Blocked Legislation.

late bill passed the senate, receiving
almost every Democratic vote in the
senate. Now the bill is in conference
between the two houses. The house
Democratic leaders on the conference
committee refuse to accept the senate
bill while the senate conferees re-
fuse to accept the house bill. 1t Is
publicly announced that there will be
no agreement, and consequently no
reduction of the sugar tariff. The
sugar trust will continue its unholy
exaction from the American people TO
the extent of twenty million dollars a
year, while politicians are playing poll
tics rather than craftsmanship in
Washington. There is no doubt but
what a large majority of the Demo
cratic members of the house of rep
resentatives, II untrammeled and un-
coerced, would accept the senate bill
rather than no legislation. but becaus.,
of their caucus, held early in the ses-
sion, they are bound hand and foot
to support the house bill. 1t can cas-
lily be seen that this action is result
ing in just exactly what the sugar
trust wants-nO revision of the sugar
schedule.
This condition is brought about and
made possible only by the control of
the individual members through eau
Gus action. 1t Is condition that
could not exist of the Progressive Re-
publicans were in control, and II the
Progressive Democrats of the house
had thrown off the yoke of political
control through the caucus. The
American people would have had re-
lief before this, and the sugar trust
would have been annihilated. 1t is
what is called party control, which in
reality is caucus control, as against
the individual responsibility of the
members.
The fundamental principle upon
which the Progressive Republicans
stand is that every man shall be free,
whether he is common citizen, or
whether he represents constituency
of citizens. They often disagree among
themselves as to the concrete PROPOSE
tions of legislation, but upon the fun
damental principle they are all united
and that principle is that each man
shall be free to do and to act as he
believes Is right. It will be found.
too, when this principle is put into
operation, that there will not be very
much difference in opinion as to con-
crete propositions of legislation.
This principle of political economy
put into operation would break up ev-
cry political machine in the country.
The Progressives realize that political
machines are kept together mainly by
patronage, and therefore, they fight
for the extension Of civil service in
all lines of government. They favor
the elimination of partnership wher-
ever it can be eliminated. They would
take the pOstoffice department, for in
stance, entirely out of politics. They
would do the same thing with practi-
cally all the other departments of gov
ernment. If the power of patronage
was taken out of our political life, 1t
would come nearer than any other
one thing to bring about the absolute
control of government and the rule
of the country by the people them
selves. 1t is because of this power of
patronage that political bosses are
able to control through the caucus.
The true Progressive is in favor of
having every official responsible for
every one of his official acts. and is
not willing to permit any public Of
ficial to be excused from such re-
sponsibility by the plea that he was
following his political caucus in the
action that he took.