Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1912-10-04
FAVORS
THE PROGREsS|VES
McGovern Gives Out Statement
Making Known His Stand.
SCORES TAFT AND WILSON
Declares That Neither Of Them Are
Capable of Demanding Support Of
the Peogressives-Says He Win
Vote for Roosevelt.

Madison.-A statement issued by
Gov. Francis E. McGovern, in which
he announces his support of Col:
Roosevelt for president, is in part as
follows:
AS the head of the Republican
state ticket feel that the people of
Wisconsin are entitled to q plain
statement concerning my attitude on
national issues. The split in the Re-
publican party which resulted in plac-
ing two national tickets in the field
can no longer be ignored.
The paramount duty of the people
of Wisconsin is to promote their own
welfare. The first business of those
who believe in the high civic ideals
their state has espoused and exempli-
fed in recent years is to conserve and
still further advance what has been
SO we'll begun. The Progressive move
ment must not be checked or defeat
ed here at home. Not in form mere
ly but in substance and spirit it must
go on. This is common ground upon
which all good citizens should stand,
whatever difference may tend to d.
vide them upon other matters. But
it is no reason why they or those who
represent them in public station
| should now dodge vital national is
sues. 1t is from this viewpoint that
/ shall approach the consideration of
the national problem, fully according
! to others the same freedom of choice
claim for myself.
To begin with I cannot advocate
| the reelection of Taft and Sherman.
AS progressive Republican l find
myself Numerically opposed to al
most everything this ticket repre-
sents. President Taft's .administra-
ton has accomplished some good
| things; but in the main it's history is
record of political incompetence
and retrogression. The composition
of President Tafts cabinet as origin
| ally made up. his political warfare
/ upon progressive members OF Con-
| gress, in which patronage was admit
! tedly used as a club or bride, the
Ballinger episode, the Charles r.
Crane fiasco, the passage of the
Payne-AIdrich tariff law, the Winona
/ speech endorsing this betrayal of par
/ ty pledges, his dismissal of Clifford
Pinchot from the public service, his
interference in the politics of Wiscon-
sin two years ago through the So
called telephone convention" engi-
neered by e. L. Philip and w. D.
Conner, his vetoes of the wool, cot
] ton, and steel tariff bills, his advo-
cacy of the Aldrich currency scheme,
his political alliance with Senator AL
drich, Joe Cannon, Boss Barnes, and
| Senators Penrose, Murray Crane,
Smoot and Guggenheim and finally
his acceptance of a denomination in
| the very teeth of nationwide pro-
| test make up record for laundering
subservience to selfish special inter-
ests, reactionary personal inclination
and reckless defiance of the popular
will unexampled in the history of the
/ presidential office. AS Republican
/ / cannot support President Taft be-
cause within the brief period of asin-
1 gle term he has wrecked great and
historic political party. AS q Pro-
gressive cannot support him be-
cause he is utterly reactiOnary and
grows more so every day. Let any
one who doubts this compare his
speech of acceptance four years ago
with the one he recently made at
/ Washington. If Senator Aldrich or
/ Joe Cannon ever delivered a more
/ standpat address it has escaped my
dCJGntlOu I1O pAO1OuAdAJ 0AotA uot 70
| the people and is utterly untitled to
lead them.
But multiplication of reasons is
unnecessary. The one objection that
| he was not honestly renominated and
is not now rightly the head of the
Republican ticket is enough. His re-
4 nomination was stolen / was in the
convention and saw it done It is
idle to split hairs about minor
wrongs, to bother about the debauch-
/ ing of common councils, to resent the
purchase of senatorship or to waste
! time talking about the right of the
people to rule il this nomination is
| to stand The proceedings of The
| nominal majority of the Republican
| convention are a challenge to the
| moral sense and self-respect of every
member of the party. Not alone was
| there dishonesty in the seating of
| delegates; there was fragrant and
outrageous disregard Of public Opin-
| ion and brazen defiance of the re-
corded will of the people that cannot
| be permitted to go unrebuked if rep
resentative institutions arctic endure.
Nor can I support the Democratic
| ticket. In woodrow Wilson there is
much to admire He is clean,
! wholesome, gifted and patriotic
American But he is a free-trade
Democrat who believes in an anti
quated theory of states rights and
| relies for his election upon the sup
port Of boss-ridden political ma
chimes. AS a Democrat he is an adj
| vocate of doctrines which If put In
effect would enfeeble the government
! at a time when strong and efficient
administration is imperatively re-
quired.
| l can see no prospect of advantage
| to the Progressive cause in the pos
| sible victory of Wilson over Taft.
Should it occur it will be moral
victory only. In such event the peo-
| pie will have the satisfaction of hav-
| ing rebuked President Taft for his
reactionary policies, his defiance of
public opinion, and his alliance with
corrupt bosses; but this will be all
| the good they will ever get out of it.
There remains the new Progressive
party. Whether we Judge it by its
platform, its ticket or the compost
| tion of the convention that gave it