The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-07-10
I Remain Republican.


Hon. Paul Stillman in Jefferson
Bee: After looking the situation fair
Ily In the face the Bee is Of the opin
ion that progressive Republicans will
make great mistake If they walk
out Of the Republican party now.
They have already won moral vic
tory. within the party, as was clearly
shown In nearly every state where
presidential primaries were held:
they are temporarily deprived, by
methods which can never be repeated,
of their ascendency within the party,
that Is all.
We say that these methods can new
Ter be repeated, because We have en-
tire confidence that even though a
national presidential primary may
not be established, great majority
of the states will, through their legis-
lative bodies. provide for presidential
primaries before another candidate Is
nominated And 1t was noticeable In
| the late campaign that wherever such
| presidential primaries had been pro-
vided. there were no contests and no
room for any. 1t was rimply mat
ter OF counting the votes, and under
these conditions even national COM
mittees' are powerless.
We are not for the new party"
because we believe we can do more
good in the old party. AS progressive
Republicans we have fought our is
sues out to successful conclusion in
the Republican party her, In Iowa,
and we have been proud of our kind
of Republicanism. In progressive Re-
publican Iowa, where would the new
party" tit In 1t would doubtless give
ius new party" state and county
ticket and place in jeopardy. by a
Ithree-cornered fight. the splendid men
I've have just helped nominate for
these offices. 1t may be raid that no
such thing is intended. but when all a
man has to do to get his name on the
new party" ticket Is to present a
petition with few names attached,
lit is a fair presumption thet ticket
will be filed.
A new broom sweeps clean, and the
new party" if it goes at all, will
start with whoop and a hurrah. But.
however alluring it may appear the
new party" will not be perfect par
ty. 1t will have the same sort of hui
man nature in it that there is In the
old parties. A party is merely the
vehicle through which the people ex-
hD{v ~ crox ON If
i the people Of this nation are progress
sive in their ideas, as we believe a
lgreat majority of them are, then de.
4 spite temporary set-backs progressive
q ideas will control the government in
q one or the other of the two great
parties. The hope that a new party
will be panacea for all ills, and
make everything just right and Just
as it should be, is a fatuous hope.
4 We like the Republican party and
its history Born in the night Of slav
cry, its first shout was shout fol
ing its practically uninterrupted con
i troll, the United States las become The
greatest of nations. We do not de
'ispair of 1t now. We were licked this
time and unfairly licked we think
but we are going to stay with it ant
Tight it out We doubt the wisdom o
DESERVING ship that has borne us on
ward for sixty years because we d.
not at this time like the captain O
IA the management.
4 We yield to none in the sincerit,
with which we hold progressive idea'
of government, and we are convinced
the most hopeful place to fight for tn.
supremacy of those views is within
! the Republican party. For these rea
! sons we propose to stay in the Re
publican part. supper. the Republi
can ticket, and remain soundly an,
firmly Republican.