Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-06-29
LaFolIette Excoriates Former Presi
dent Roosevelt.

months ago, there was a strong ant
rapid growing progressive movement
within the Republican party. 1t wa!
based on clearly defined principles. L
stood forth as the representative o.
modern political thought on funda
mental democracy. 1t has assumed
national proportions. 1t was united
! "Into this movement, when it gave
promise of national success, Roose.
welt projected his ambition to be
president a third time. He spent
weeks carefully planning a spontane-
Gus call for himself. He responded by
announcing that he would be 'recep-
| tive candidate. His candidacy began
to drag. He and his friends were in
dispair. Then came his defeat in
North Dakota. He became desper-
ate.
can enormous campaign fund was
raised. Headquarters were opened II
New York, Washington and Chicago:
and states east and west. Newspaper
writer's were engaged at large prices
to boom his candidacy. Special trains
were hired, and the receptive candi
date started in franic pursuit of the
nomination. In the history of Amerl-
can politics there has never been in q
primary campaign for presidential
nomination an approach to the ex'
travagant expenditures made in his
campaign.
Men VIGOROUSLY identified with the
steel trust and the harvester trust be-
came his most active supporters
Leading reactionaries, stand-patters
and political bosses of the Hanna ant
Quay sort became his closest political
friends and representatives in man!
states.
"Newer recruite to the Republic
can progressive cause, men whom be
fore 1909, with three or four except.
ions, had either been Indifferent or op'
posed to the progressive movement BE-
came the noisest supporters OF Roose
welt, the winner. 1t mattered not II
them that Roosevelt had co-operatet
with Aldrich on legislation during the
entire seven years he was president
They forgot that it was only whel
Roosevelt was out of office or in Al
RIGA, through the united efforts OF
men who for years had been fighting
special interests that the progressive
cause became a national movement
That Roosevelt was for Taft in 1915
when Taft was denouncing all progre:
sives as pirates and traitors that ht
waited until little more than yea:
ago, balancing the chances before de
Gliding whether to cast his lot with tht
progressives in this presidential year
counted for nothing with the class O.
progressives who wanted to win-no'
real victory-just victory.
"And they did win precisely tina
kind of victory. They carried over
whelmingly the great stand-pat state
of Illinois and Pennsylvania. Thai
stamped the Roosevelt candidacy witt
its true character. No real progress
sive could have secured anything llN
such vote in either Of those tw'
states. 1t had, however, the outward
seeming seeming Of success, the sor
of successes that intoXicates-tha'
catches the crowd. 1t enabled Roose.
Welt TO win to two or threee reall!
progressive states. Fortunately, IL
did not enable him TO secure the nornl'
nation. which would have comprom'
ised the progressive movement ant
defeated real achievement for year;
to come.
"Ifpon Theodore Roosevelt and hE
followers rests the responsibility o:
having divided the progressives IN
their first national contest. Stlmu
lated by an overmastering desire t.
win, they denounced loyalty to con-
viction and principle as stubborn sell
6shness. In the convention they pun
forward no platfornl-no issues.
They made no fight against the rea-
ctionary platform adopted. Ihey sup
stituted vulger personalities ana the
coarse epithets of the prize ring 1oi
the serious consideration of the great
economic problems and for the time
being brough ridicule and contempt
upon a great cause.
"But the progressive movement
does not consist Of a few self-consu-
tuted leaders. 1t consistes of millions
of thoughtful citizens, drawn togeth-
err bv common belief in certain prln-
] ,;r,os They will permit no comDi-