Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1912-06-02
EACH MUST
PUT Up A
PROGRESSIVE
SAYS COL. WILLIAM ]. BRYAN
Insists That Country Leans
All One Way
(From Interview with w. ]. Bryan in
New York Worldl

|
New York WORLDLY
The one prime essential is that the
democratic party shall be democratic
By that l mean that it shall live up to
the standard that is has raised before
the people and fulfill the hopes tina;
it has Xcited. The democratic part,
has led in the 16-year fight against the
corporate domination of politics. For
more than one-half ofthat time it had
scarcely any assistance from the re-
publican leaders. Seven or eight years
ago Senator La Toilette, the pioneer
reformer in the republican party, be-
gan to organize a progressive force
in that party. Mr. Roosevelt during
his second term gave some encourage
ment to the movement, but the chief
growth of insurgency in the republican
party abs occurred during the las,
four years
AT the present time it is difficult to
measure accurately the progressive
strength in the republican party, but
it is probable that if it could find free
expression at the primaries it would
be found to be a dominant sentiment.
It's expression is not free, however.
for two reasons: First, because the
presidential preference primaries are
not held in many states, and second,
because the reform sentiment is now
divided between Senator LaFollette
and Mr.. Roosevelt. If it were concen
trated on one man it might be able to
control the republican convention but
for the southern republican contingent
in the convention, which does not rep
resent any sentiment, progressive or
otherwise-it simply represents what
money or patronage can purchase.
THE third-term objection to Mr.
Roosevelt very materially lessons his
ability to represent progressive senti-
ment, If he had taken up the cause
of Senator LaFollette or some other
representative leader of the progress
sive republicans and worked as hard
for him as he is now working for him
self Mr.. Roosevelt could have COMPEL
ed the nomination of that leader-at
!
least that is my opinion"
What element of the republican
party do you think will control in the
Chicago convention"
Il do not care to express an opin-
ion on that point. | am not fond OF
making predictions. 1t seems quite
certain that Mr. Taft will have more
votes than any other man whose name
is presented; but it is still possible
that Senator LaFollette and Mr.. Roose-
welt may get together and control the
convention.
However there are indications that
there may be two conventions. This at
tempt on the part of Mr.. Taft and Mr.
Roosevelt to have contrasting delega-
tons looks like two conventions were
possible; in that case it is hard for an
outsider to fix limia for the gayety
of the week that the convention
meets"
What about the democratic situa-
tion?"
Il have purposely considered the re-
publican situation first, because demo
cratic opportunity may be very mate
rally affected by the results of the re-
publican convention. With nine-tenths
of the democratic party progressive
and nearly, if not quite, one-half of the
V republican party progressive, the nee
essity for nominating a democrat wht
is also progressive ought to be appar.
ent to any one. In fact, it is SO ap-
parent that no democrat is an aspiran
for the democratic nomination as al
avowed reactionaTy. Even Governo
Harmon is being urged entirely on the
ground that he is a progressive-al
his literature is addressed to the pro
gressives. The democratic progress
sives would be willing to pay liberia
reward for any literature sent out b.
his campaign managers appealing t.
! the reactionaries. This is the tribut
that Wall street pays to progressives.