The Washington times., 1912-11-07
WHAT THE PROGRESSIVE VOTE SHOWS.

With reports from many States yet so incomplete
as to make accurate conclusions impossible, it ap-
pears that Colonel Roosevelt leads President Taft
by about million in the popular vote, and that
Roosevelt and Taft together place Wilson in minor
ity of about million. Colonel Roosevelt has polled
between 100000 and 4,500,000. statement which
in itself is striking enough, but it is vastly more sig
nfcant when recognition is given to the fact that
these votes came from all sections of the country,
that he ran about equally well in all parts. He car
ried the second greatest State in the Nation, an
Eastern State; he carried one State and barely
missed carrying all the States that border on the
Pacific, and, finally, he led President Taft in almost
all the Southern States
Never was great movement more strictly popu-
lar in character There was no concentration Of
money, effort or organization in few localities to
push Roosevelt with especial vigor, simply because
there was neither money nor organization to do it
with. He got just what the people had for him, what
they were determined to give to him, and nothing
more. At the end, he has carried five States with
II electoral votes he comes second at least in twen-
ty-fve States President Taft carried three States
with IL electoral votes and lands second in possibly
twelve States
These facts prove the popular character of the
Roosevelt movement There was nothing OF hot
house quality about it, His party represented the en-
thusiasm, the devotion, the complete unselshness,
the zeal and altruisc purpose of the millions of peo-
pie who made it up and nothing more. There was
no organization with which to handle the votes, no
series of local machines to arrange deals and trades
and give mortgages on the future in consideration
of present support There was no patronage, and
mighty little prospect Of patronage, in States, cities
countless to attract interest and sefshness to the
cause.
The sheriff, the county commissioner, the town
marshal the member of the legislature, the township
trustee, all these, multiplied by the tens of thou
sands of minor officers scattered all over the land,
might be Democrats or Republicans but they were
Progressives in no case. They were united in one
common purpose, at least, and that was to keep the
new party down. 1t had no corresponding army OF
selfish interest with which to oppose this huge Or
ganzation of the old parties.
The old Republican machine has been the most
perfect and best disciplined political organization
that the world ever In States, counties, cities
and towns its captains knew their forces, and knew
how to use them most effectively; all these were
pyramded in the national organization, mechanism
whose like will never see again for responsiveness
and reliability. This was the organization which the
Progressive movement had to fight, and which it has
now defeated
Nothing short of absolute devotion to cause and
principle could have made such result possible. If
the forces of organization, personal ambition, and
political interest had been on the Progressive sde
along with the vast power of popular support, it
would have swept the country There can be no
doubt of this The indces of sentiment pointed
straight to Roosevelt the appealing figure.
The VOTE secured without any of the usual fine tooth
combng and careful management, was simply that
part of the electorate which moved entirely spon-
taneously Did any other candidate receive as many
votes which represented nothing whatever save the
spontaneous, individual determination of the voter,
uninAuenced by any possible selfish Interior in
terest? The is so plain that to ask the ques-
ton is to answer it.
Mr.. Taft benefited greatly in the last weeks of
the campaign by tine fact that the crop seasons close
left no doubt that the country passing through
one Of the years of natures richest bounty. Crops
were unprecedentedly large, and prices high. The
fact that sunshine and rain had been so we'll dis
tributed worth votes for Mr.. Taft than all
the arguments his literary bureau could devise
Quick to appreciate this, the Taft management in
the last month of the campaign used practically no
appeal save the Let we'll enough alone" argument
which modesty assumed credit for natures amiab
ty. 1t was the best they had, and the most effective
1t saved them more votes than all else together Had
this been poor crop year, bad industrial season
Roosevelt would have been elected.
CHRISTIANITY'S SHAME.