Imperial Valley press., 1912-09-20
TAFT'S VISION NOT CLEAR,
IS SENATOR D|XON'S VIEW

Senator Joseph NJ. Dixon, chairman
of Progressive national committee: We
hear great deal in this campaign
about the dignity" "poise" and "con-
servatism" Of the president The con-
stitution is represented as attacked on
all sides and desperately defended by
the president, with the aid of Mr..
depicted in a frenZied attempt to un-
dermiue the foundations of their own
| liberties and the sources of their own
happiness, with nothing standing be
| tween them and their own imperilled
| institutions but the standpatters OF
| the old guard.
1t was DIR. samuel Johnson, the fam
| Gus photographer, who, disguised with
| the appeals made by discredited poll
| ticians to national pride and party
| spirit in order to cover their own
| shortcomings, once described patriot
| ism as the last refuge of a scoundrel.
| And, considering certain specious ap-
peals and shallow catch phrases which
are much in circulation now, 1t is
very easy to see that they are intend :
| ed to deceive the people and to per-
vert their Judgment.
| Ex-Governor Frank 5. Black said
once of Theodore Roosevelt:
| He is not conservative, if by con-
| serVatiVe is meant waiting until II is
| too late. . He cares nothing for dig
nifty, if by that is meant preserving s
a dignified silence in the presence of
1 fragrant abuses"
And as to this constant criticism that
| certain much needed reforms are i'm
practicable because unconstitutional
| Roosevelt knows. in common with all
| clear headed men, that the cry of 'un-
| constitutional" has been lifted up to
| defeat almost every measure of bene-
| ficient legislation that has been en-
| acted into law. The DolliVer-Hepburn
railroad rate bill was opposed as un-
| constitutional Probably no measure
! has resulted in such far reaching good.
| II is doubtful whether the interests
| that were ranged against this legisla-
| tion could now be persuaded to concur
| in any measure looking to Its modlnca
| tion or repeal
The bill for the federal inspection
| of meats was opposed as unconstltu-
tional. The pure food bill was opposed
| as unconstitutional
| In the spirit Of DR.. Johnson's detini-
tion the constitution might be truth
| fully defined as the last defensive re
| source of imperilled and uncovered
| wrongdoing.
| 1t was Willingly remarked some days
ago that the president was "a well
meaning person entirely surrounded by
lineXplicable phenomena" 1t does real
lY seem that President Taft is so sat
urated with Journalism, so reverent OF
precedent. 50 tender of change, that
he is incapable of understanding the
great Democratic surge which, rising
| throughout the country, demands that
our institutions shall more clearly re
fleet the charging. popular sense OF
social justice.
To the members of the Progressive
party this prattle about poise, dignity
| conservatism and constituti onalisn
| seems pitifully thin and unimportant
So do the bubbles, eVasions and plati-
tudes of Governor Wilson. 1t is in
creasingly manifest that if Governor
Wilson has any clear conceptions OF
| policy he is determined to repress theiI
| statement. His speeches seem con
| structed on the theory that the func-
tion of language is to conceal thought
| Running on platform which he
himself has said does not constitute
a program. and which leading Dem
| 0cratic editor has called upon him tC
lrepudiate in its entirety, he has failed
thus far to state what does constitute
his policy.
Contrasted with the musty irrele-
Vancies and political archaiSms which
constitute the Republican platform and
the feeble inanities thus far uttered
by the Democratic candidate, the clean
cut. downright and OutspOken -declara
tiOns Of the party purpose and faith
in its national and state conV VentiOnS
naturally are winning the respect and
confidence Of the people.
4 "Our PLATFORM" says Roosevelt, lis a
| contract to whose fulhllment and per
| furmancc we pledge ourselves in as
| binding Il sense as we would to the
| keeping of 4 private contract"
| There is no call in the Progressive
| party that its candidate shall repudi
ate the party platform. 1t is in the
| spirit of candid speaking and straight
! dealing that the party makes its APP
peal for support, relying upon thai
| truism of history that the people can
not be deceived and know whom to