The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-09-15
THE PROGRESSIVE CONVENTION

The Progressive State Convention
held in Ogden on Friday was a lively
gathering. But the Roosevelt speech
tended rather to dampcu than 10 in
crease the enthusiasm AS it is stated
! the applause for Roosevelt was per
fuuctory and halting, but in the Pro
gressive Convention il was sponta
neous, enthusiastic, and fetching. And
indeed, there is ample reason for this
Cor the heretofore represscd sentiment
| in Utah in favor Of independent per
sonal political action is far better
based and far stronger fortified than
is any possible sentiment here for
Roosevelt Roosevelt is accepted as
the National leader because he is the
nominee of the Progressive party; but
we have no doubt that the local Pro.
grcssive ticket will poll n mach heav-
ier vote than it viii bc possible TO
poll for Roosevelt
The ticket nominated has some
strong names upon IL Mr.. Morris for
Governor will undoubtedly make a
strong run If he gets out and makes
the campaign for himself and his
cause that those affiliated with the
movement claim he will do. The nomi-
nation of Judge Hiles for Justice of
the Supreme Court is so eminently At.
ting and strong that one is almost
ton made. Judge Hiles would be an
ornament to the bench. and rather
than the occupancy Of the bench be
ing n compliment to him. his occu-
paucy would be bulwark OF strength
to the bench itself.
The other nominations were fair,
aud we arc especially glad to see that
the nomination of School Superlutend-
ent A. G. Nelson was left open The
miserable partisanship OF our election
laws is evident as applied 10 his case;
for while the Progressive Convention
would have been glad to put him on
its ticket. the law forbids And Just
think of that for a moment. 4 live,
active, political movement here is de-
barred by the law from putting n man
on its ticket that it desires to put
there. Election laws like that arc a
curse to and an oppression upon the
people. But it has long been the pur-
pose of the Federal gang in control
in this State TO coerce- the voters into
voting straight tickets and repressing
all Independent political movements,
and this purpose on the part Of the
politicians here is responsible
for the abnormal condition which pre-
vents State convention putting upon
Its ticket a man whom it would like
TO nominate. But think Of that kind
Of restriction in free country
The platform is a tumble Of Roose-
veltism, La Folletteism, and a lot Of
the popular fads of the day, and is
abnormally long. Nevertheless, 1t has
strong points. The first Of these is
The declaration that political and civil
rests in the people, and that
5he people are entitled to manage their
public affairs without any Interference
from any source whatever. No bosses,
ecclesiastical or otherwise, no machine
20 control or guide the peoples free
oppression of their desires. This is
excellent doctrine for Utah, and there
s no question but that the promulga
ion and 1nsistence upon that doctrine
s the great thing needed here in our
public affairs. When the platform says,
Is it does, that "for years past in
both State and Nation our Govern
nents have been controlled and our
politics dominated by the unholy alli-
,nce between big business and bosses,'
,he declaration is emphatically true for
his State, adding to it the church au-
tocracy. Unfortunately, it Is true
as to Congressional action upon the
.ariff so far as the standpat element
n the party as represented In the
U. s. Senate justiies the dec
aration also with respect to the
Nation. But President Taft fortunate
y has clear bill Of health on this
matter, because be insisted, not as
early as he should have done. to bo
sure, but still he insisted, upon re.
deeming the party's pledge to revise
the tariff downward, and since he
could not get this revision at the extra
session of 1909, he has continually dc.
clared that this downward revision
must be made, But the value of this
declaration and the abso-
lutte truth Of it as applied to the State
both in its legislative and in its ad.
function, there can be no
reasonable doubt. And when the plat
form proceeds to declare, further, that
the paramount issue in this campaign
is the control Of our Government and
political life by the people themselves
to the end that they may have politl-
cal and industrial democracy, and to
favor that control by the people, the
special applicability of the sentiment
to Utah must be recognized by every
thinking voter. The impact of the
Progressive party upon the public life
of this State with this declaration as
the head OF its battering ram. must