The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1912-07-25

ident, but it looks 70 me as though il
was too much Teddy now. 1t seems tC
me that Wilson and his platform cover
the ground well enough for every pro
gressive.
II. l.. Hopkins-Under present con,
ditions / regard a third party move
ment as necessary for several reasons
In the first place progressiveism is a
product Of the republicans-notably
LaFollette, Bristow, Cummins, Bever,
idge, Roosevelt. What is progressive
ism?-government by the people-all
Of the people. That is my conception
Of its meaning as issues have shaped
at present. The founders OF this gov.
ernment-a truly wonderful concep-
tion-intended each citizen to be a
sovereign and have equal rights, pri-
vileges and opportunities with every
other citizen. This condition has
never existed except in theory
the people do not and never
have ruled. 1t vas an ex-
pertinent in self-government. The
nicely calculated system Of checks and
balances-executive. legislative, and
judicial Observation-Disclosures ways of
selecting our officials-various meth
DDS of electing them-haye not worked
I ont in nrantipn rnnrncciNaicn mann
put it up TO the people-sQuarely
and directly. 1t means-put every
thing up to them in the simplest and
most direct way-everything from the
direct election of the chief executive
of the nation down to constable-in
every department Of government it
means the right of the electorate to
recall any officer in any department,
at any time, for cause-including
judges-there is no sanity halo
about the brow of the judicial officers
they are just as common mud as the
average of humanity-and in passing
| might say that, in my opinion, u
judicial department is the weakest
link in our chain Of goyernment-the
most corrupt and the least progressive
and the greatest menace to u great
experiment in government. Why?
Very briehy-antiquated methods in
administration-worship Of ancient
precedents which are out of joint and
tune with the spirit and conditions OF
the present-farcial and almost i'm
possible methods OF removing an Of
Tending judge. Progressiveism also
mea the adoption Of a system OF
control in our political parties which
will not allow a national party COM
mittee-selected in one campaign to
assist in carrying out the issues and
policies of that campaign-to inject
itself over into the campaign four
years later-when other men are can
didates-Other issues are being fought
for and under entirely changed con-
ditions-and thwart the overwhelm-
ingly expressed will of the people-by
which they arrOgate to themselves,
their friends, their systems. Their
policies are preserved and perpetual
ed-against Observation-Disclosures
public policy-against the overWhelm-
ingly expressed mandates of the So
called ]coyereign people. l favor a
third party movement because | do
not want the old bOss-ridden-natural-
~ and instinctiyely conseryatiye-and
reactionary-Tammany controlled
democratic party-driven with whip,
spu and scourge for ten days by w.
J.. Bryan-fnally to take the progress
siye side in American politics. do
not want this democratic party 10 in
herit and swallow UP the progressive
republicans and, by a strategic play
upon the political stage, appropriate
to its own use and benefit all Of the
sentiment building and labor OF all
Of the progressive republicans of the
nation. The Taft wing of the republi-
can party though, is a worse refuge
for the real progressive republican
than democracy. They are hopeless
~ reactionary and the last hope and
refuge of the system" 1t is the
parting OF the ways. The republican
progressive must have a national
party home. Let it be put up to the
people. Let every important issue
arising be put up to the people in the
simplest and most direct way. Let us
really try the experiment Of self
government-by the people. II it
does not work out satisfactorily then
we have to conclude that our whole
scheme Of government is wrong and
try VI some new system. l am en-
Enthusiastically in favor Of a new pro-
gressive republican party. 1t will do
auav with all state and municipal