Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-07-02
Miseellaaeu,ls &saaina.
LAFoLLETTE FLAWS ROOSEVELT
Says Colonel Got in With Prosressives
to DESTROY Thorn.

to Destroy Them.
Senator LaFollette has published the
following editorial in the current num-
ber Of LaFollette's weekly:
Until Roosevelt came into the
open as a candidate for the presidency
five months ago there was a strong
and rapidly growing movement (pro-
gressive) within the Republican par
ty. 1t was based OH clearly defined
principles. 1t stood for Taft as the
representative Of modern political
thought on fundamental democracy. 1t
had assumed national proportions. It
was united.
Into this movement, when 1t gave
promise of national success. Roose-
Welt projected his ambition to be
president a third time, he spent weeks
carefully planning a spontaneous call
for himself. He responded by an
nouncing that he would be a 'recep-
tive candidate His candidacy began
to drag. He and his friends were in
despair. Then came his defeat in
North Dakota. He became desperate.
Fund Raised.
"An enormous campaign fund. was
raised. Headquarters were opened In
New York, Washington, Chicago. and
states east and west. Newspaper writ
ers were engaged at large prices to
boom his candidacy. Special trains
were hired and the receptive candi-
date started in frantic pursuit Of the
nomination. In the history Of Amer
lean politics there has never been In
a primary campaign for a presidential
nomination an approach to the ex-
travagant expenditures made In his
campaign. Men notoriously Identified
with the steel trust and the harvester
trust became his most active support
ers. Leading reactionaries, stand-pat-
tiers and political bosses Of the Hanna
and Quay sort became his closest po-
litical friends and representatives in
many states.
"A number Of the newer recruits to
the Republican Progressive cause, men
who before 1909 with three or four ex-
ceptions, had either been Indifferent
or opposed to the progressive move
Roosevelt, the winner 1t mattered
not to them that Roosevelt had CO.
operated with Aldrich on legislation
during the entire seven years he was
president. They forgot that 1t was
only when Roosevelt was in Africa,
that the efforts of men who had been
fighting specific causes that the pro,
gressive movement became an issue.
Was for Taft.
That Roosevelt was for Taft In
1910 when Taft was denouncing all
Progressives as traitors. that he wait
ed till a little more than year ago.
balancing the chances before deciding
Progressives in this year, counted
nothing with the class of Progressives
who wanted to win not real Pro-
gressive victory, but just a victory.
And they did win precisely that
kind Of a victory. They carried over
whelmingly the great stand-pat states
of Illinois and Pennsylvania That
stamped the Roosevelt candidacy with
it's true character. No real Progress
sive could have secured anything like
such a vote in either Of those states.
1t has, however, the outward seeming
success-the kind Of success that in
tOXlcateS, tnat CdtcneS tHe CTOWu IL
enabled Roosevelt to win in two or
three really Progressive states. For
tunately, it did not enable him to Sc
cure the nomination which would have
compromised the Progressive move
ment and defeated real achievement
for years.
Upon Theodore Roosevelt and his
followers rests the responsibility of
having divided the Progressives In
their first national contest. Stimu-
lated by an overmastering desire to
win, they denounced loyalty to con-
viction and principle as stubborn self
ishness. In the convention they put
forward no platform, no issues. They
made no fight against the reactionary
platform adopted. They substituted
vulgar personalities and the coarse
epithet of the prize ring for the seri-
Gus consideration of great economic
problems and for the time being
brought ridicule and contempt upon a
great cause.
But the Progressive movement does
not consist of few self constituted
leaders. 1t consists of millions OF
thoughtful citizens drawn together by
a common belief in certain principles.
They will permit no combination OF
special interests and political expedi-
ency to secure control of the Progress
sive cause which is ultimately to re-
deem democracy and restore govern