The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1913-09-25
A GOVERNOR LOST TO
DEMOCRACY

DEMOCHACr
Under the above heading The Lit.
erary Digest comments on the Gov
ernor Foss Massachusetts situation as
follows:
The abandonment Of the Democc at
ic party by a governor who is serving
his third successive term under its
banner in normally Repuhli"i.n
State, and who was candidate fL-
the Presidential nomination last
spring would have elected gasps of
wonderment from the faithful editors
Of Republican and Democratic papers
a few years ago. Today, however, the
action OF Governor Foss of Massach-
usetts seems but rather interesting
incident which helps to prove that
party ties, in the Springfield Repub-
leans Und.) phrase, ARE about as
substantial as the mists of the morn
ing" Governor Foss, it will be re-
membered, was a regular Republican
up to the beginning of his somewhat
meteoric political career. 1t now APP
pears TO most observers that he is
simply on his way back to the old
love. Yet Mr.. Foss himself studiously
refrains from any announcement Of
the fact, tho steps were taken toward
Ia To, In, hA fn thA Pc
publican gubernatorial nomination,
and tho he still has good words and
quently at Republican gatherings. He
has definitely broken with the De
mocrats and prefers to call himself an
Independent, and If he takes the field
as a candidate for reelection, 1t will
be upon an Independent ticket, as it
is now too late to enter the party
primaries Governor Foss announces
that he is through with the Democrat
&c party till It has got back to the
people" His dissatisfaction with the
tariff policy at Washington has been
set forth in these pages. At home he
has found his policies unsupported by
Democratic members of the State
legislature, and even opposed by par
ty leaders. Under such circumstan-
ces," says the Governor, II told them
some time ago that ! could not 90
with them longer. Just as long as
they are with the people | am with
them"
While most people would hardly
like to change so often, thinks the
Baltimore Sun, The Fossian style
at least has the merit OF frankness
and directness."
When the Governor does not see
what he wants in one party, he goes
to another after II, and II he can't
get IL there he has no hesitation in
going back TO the first, There is
one thing to be commended in his
relapse, at any rate, and that is that
he goes where he belongs and that he
does not continue to try to sail under
false colors. II man must be
wrong in his political and economic
theories, it is at least something that
he should be honest enough to throw
away the mask of pretense.
II Governor Foss goes back IN tho
Republican party, which he deserted
in 1903, when the first signs of the
Democratic tidal wave appeared, It
will be- explains the indianapolis
News (lnd. } because he is naturally
a Republican, and naturally New
England protectionist. Though Mr..
Foss became prominent as an advo-
cate OF reciprocity and tariff reform
as early as 1902, it was not until
1903 that he chopped into the Dem.
ocratic ranks" as the News puts il
In the following year, he ran for con,
gress as Democrat and was elected
and that in the observation-disclosures
Fourteenth District of Massachusetts.
And then he ran for Governor and
has been running and been elected,
ever since. But, continues The In,
diana editor;
LAS the homely saying runs. "Blood
VIII tell Reciprocity, the high cost