The Washington times., 1912-08-03

provide policemen to guide children and
old folks over the crossings, and, gen.
orally, performed various useful func-
Suddenly bursts upon this cornplacent
community the realization that abc.:o
everything that II pays such tremend-
Gus price for-pays the price through
these political machines--is bogus, cor
rupt, allied with the worst elements,
instead of the best. There must be
Improvement, and It must come through
some new organization.
May Demand Primaries.
The old citizens union is incubating.
1t is reported, a big and vigorous cam
paign to educate the people to under
stand what primaries are. and what
they do. That means nothing In the
S opinion In favor of the Whoiss PROGRAMS H9e
Of the progressive party. Let that pro-
gram once get an inchl and II will take
a mile. The movement can't stop with
primafes:. it must take in the whole
thing, and carry Il TO logical conciu-
sions.
That is what New York is suddenly
thinking about. The shift OF sentiment
is profuna and universal ,.S because %Ss the
gressives know how fast sentinel is
turning toward them, but they cannot
keep up with its actual operations. Mo-
body else can. For weeks before the
~
known that upstate, sentiment was
powerfully runping toward the new
party The farmers and Industrial
workers in the new provinces were liv-
Irregular" Republican Congressman
have been cooperating IN study Of po-
litical conditions. In their respective
districts, and the reports that have been
| going to them at washington have been
all OF the same tenor; the progressive
movement gaining ground every day
Wilson'S nomination has not made 9
popular appeal Something big and
vigorous and extraordinary IL demand
| ed, and the new party is the only thing
that fits the specifications.
| Brooklyn For Roosevelt
From Brooklyn have come the same
reports; the town is .overwhelmingl,
for Roosevelt. according to all the re
ports. Three different lines OF investi
CATION have been worked out recently
one, through the assembly district or
ganizations; another, through race ant
religious organizations; a third through
Investigation of exact conditions In In
| dustries and trades and Industrial es
tablishments. All through the same re
ports, Roosevelt is leading and gaiuinl
by leaps and bounds.
But all this did not bring conviction
as to conditions in New York county
Manhattan. There was conceded to b.
the weak spot in the progressive armor
"If Roosevelt were as strong IN NeV
York country as he Is In Brooklyn ant
up State he would carry New York.
was a common expression. But 1t wa
supposed that New York county's In
ertia would make history impossible.
Then Came the Climax.
Then came the exposure Of the police
vice conspiracy, with all its tremendou
implications. New York county ha
been swept of its feet, carried ava
from all its moorings to cynictsm, con
servatism, standpatism. The condition
has been brought right squarely up 7
| every individual citizen; ana, New forl
county is today in a frame OF mind Z
| lead the revolution which three week
ago most anybody would have SAID
was certain to prevent.
Roosevelt luck has become proven
of politics. Never did such piece Q
. luck happen to him as this New for
city scandal. coming just at this me
ment. 1t looks like an interpositio
, Of a higher power, to bring the grea
, city, and through 1t the Empire Stat'
into the progressive movement
= Politicians have not had time TO az
: praise all these elements fully as ye
, they will see them better before Ions
: they are beginning to see them nov
Z and they are nightly afraid. Anotnt
fortnight of such evolution In publ
1 sentiment and there will be nobody
Z doubt that Roosevelt is the dominatir
!, figure In the whole New York SITUATION