The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1912-07-11
PROGRESSIVE vs..
REACTIONARY

Bellingham, Washington, July D. l9l2
Editor The Tribune Our local Wilson
Blethen- Perkins standpat dailies are en-
ieavoring to create the impression that
the few progressive papers in the state
are now openly repudiating Roosevelt.
progressive principles, and are urging all
reformers TO stay regular or go over to
Woodrow Wilson. The Herald-American-
Reveille especially refers to the Ever
EFT Herald and The Tribune in some Of
their recent vaporings which pass for ed
itorials We doubt the truth of these
statements as we do not believe either
of these papers would suggest support
ing reactiOnary president or the en-
dorsement of the democratic party, as
this would simply be to sacrifice princi-
Pile for expediency in the first instance;
in the second, an exchange OF Root
Barnes-L orimer-Guggenheim, Aldrich and
Cannon, for Murphy, Ryan, Belmont and
Ta,nmany-a jump from the frying pan
into the fire. Tammany and Murphy
have already endorsed Wilson as being
highly satisfactory to them and the par
ty; our hysterical standpat dailies have
endorsed him heartily. Why should pro-
gressive republicans leave the old party
for a new, practically untried nominee
who has not yet proved his progressive
ness and who will receive the hearty
backing OF the reactionary element in
the democratic party?
If the fight We're solely between Wilson
and Taft the republican progressives
would have favored the former in most
cases, but as the political scrap grew
warmer close to the election many Of
them would go back to their former al
legiance to republican candidates, under
the spur of partisanship and the party
whip. with the result that it would be
the same old fight between democrat
and republican. and Taft would win in
spite Of his unpopularity and that hid
eous Chicago convention. Republican
progressives will vote for a progressive
democrat, but they will not follow him
into the democraict party II they can
possibly avoid doing so, as they do not
trust either of the old parties and hope
for no real progressive legislation from
either. The democratic platform is as
weak and defective in many respects as
the Chicago platform. The Conservation,
Philippine. Recall, and several other
planks are defectively weak and unsat-
isfactory to former republicans. They
want strong action. decisive, clear-cut
phrasing that will not dodge or evade
the real issues at stake.
Taft has been practically eliminated
by the Chicago convention. 1t is no:
believed now that he will be n serious
factor In the election unless he can
hold the progressive vote which is ~
per cent of the vote of the nation at
this time. As stated above, his only
chance is an old-fashioned scrap be-
tween himself and a democrat where
the two parties line up solidly along
party lines. In such case Taft would
hold the republican reactionaries,
most Of the republican progressves and
would get in addition nearly all Of the
| foreign born vote in the country Ow-
ing to Wilson's attitude In his publish
ed works to the foreign born element
in the country, which is very large.
Neither of the old organizations seems
to be wised up to the real issues at
stake which go deeper than the old
party lines on the tariff and similar
| old issues. The fight Is between pro-
gressive, twentieth century doctrines and
the forces Of reaction; the people want
to know whether they or the bosses
o'i' I'iNhSScu utcIcstS u RUE,
and they intend to get the answer at
the polls in November.
Roosevelt is the only man feared and
hated by the corporation controlled
press of the nation. These papers
have endorsed Taft; they praise VIII
son; pat LaFollette on the back, but
have centered all their mud-batteri
of filth and slime against Roosevelt.
There is reason for this He is a
vote getter. having, upon the one oc-
casion when he was a candidate for
the presidency, beaten his democratic
opponent by three and a half million
| majority; and he is stronger and more
beloved today by the toilers, work
ers. wage-earners, farmers and plain
people of the nation than ever be-
| fore, in spite Of the hatred and en-
nifty Of the bosses and gangsters.