The Washington times., 1913-08-11
PROGRESS|VES GAIN,
SAYS CONGRESSMAN
Hinebaugh, lust Back From
Illinois, Declares G. O. P. Is
Dormant.

THE Progressive party Is gaining
ground. The Republican party is stand
ing still and dormant The Democratic
Administration is exciting no enthu-
siasm that l have been able to discov-
er"
This is the way Congressman w. II.
Hinebaugh of Illinois, who is just back
in Washington after several weeks in
his district, is one of the largest in CELL
trail Illinois, sizes up the political sit
uation. Judge Hinebaugh Is one Of the
foremost of the Bull Moose members
of the House and a member OF the
House Appropriations Committee. ,
Judge Hinebaugh. like every other man
in Congress, is losing no opportunity
these days to sound political sentiment.
Not in recent years, perhaps, has there
been such uncertainty among the poll
ticians here about political conditions.
Men who have been accustomed Tor
years to gauge conditions accurately
tell you it is impossible, or nearly SO, TO
tell how the political currents are now
ing that everything is chaotic and no
man in politics is certain Of anything.
While in his district, Judge Hinebaugh
said ne went the rounds pretty thor-
oughly and lost no chance to talk 10
men of all callings.
knowledge of Illinois.
Il cannot. of course, tell what is go
ing on all over the country" said Judge
Hinebaugh. but 1 believe 1 do have
some knowledge Of conditions in llll-
nois. find that the Progressive party
is by no means losing strength. talked
with many men who voted the Bull
Moose ticket last fall. Far from hnding
that these men intend to leave the ITO
gressive party, l found this sort Oh
spirit: We are going to stick to this
fight and win. We are more thorough
Progressive party men than ever.
Il could find no evidence that the Re-
publican party was gaining strength. On
the contrary, it is standing still and DOR
mant. The Democratic administration is
exciting no enthusiasm that have been
able to discover"
He asserted that any movement Tor
the uniting of the Republican ana FRO
gressive parties was movement OF
leaders, than the rank and file OF the
voters had no part in 1t, and that IN
this movement the voters would not De
led.
The only hope for the Republican
party. as Judge Hinebaugh sees 1t. lies
in such disastrous results from the
tariff bill as to drive the country DacK
to the Republicans He says. however,
ne does not anticipate this, as he does
not expect the new tarin measure 10
cause serious disturbance. He described
business in the middle west as good. and
said there was small apprehension OF
anv general trouble over the tariff.
Sees End of G. o. P.
Unless the Republican party can get
itself pulled together and win in 1916.
Judge Hinebaugh predicts its dissolu-
ton. He does not believe in its resur-
rection, apart from the possibility the
country may rally to 1t again on tariff
He admits the Democrats are likely to
win the Congressional elections in 1914
and says one reason why the Democrats
probably will do so is that even if there
should be any Gripping of business by
tariff revision. the farmers probably
will not feel II for months, and until
the Congressional elections are over.
In 1916. he predicts. the real battle
for the Presidency will be a Democratic
and Bull Moose battle, barring the re-
habIlitatIon of the Republican party
through the tariff or unexpected cir
cumstanceS.