The Colville examiner. [volume] (Colville, Wash.) 1907-1948, 1913-11-22
THE QUESTION
OF THE PARTIES.

to reunite" the republican party.
Stripped to the bare facts, the
present situation is a republican,
organ zation and a willing lead
ership- without anything to lead.
or to follow the lead.
Ever since the famous Chicago
convention, efforts have been
made by aspiring republican poll
ticians to "bring the warning fac
tions together, to "reunite," to-
"reorganize," etc. Why they co.
sincerely desire this end can be-
guessed by the progressives who
are to be united" back to the
fold, and by other parties who
are merely spectators.
Some of the country's strong
men are urging the movement.
and considerable space is being
used in papers and magazines to-
show the necessity of reorganiz.
ing and reuniting. In last weeks
Saturday Evening Post is an in
teresting article by Senator Cum
Minis on the proposed republican
reorganization, and other leaders
are speaking and writing on the
subject.
1t is proposed to change the
basis of convention representation
so that actual republican votes
shall determine the convention
membership, and it is proposed
to curtail the power of the nation.
al committee in seating delegates.
Then all matters are to be left to
the convention.
Progressives are not accepting
the plan. Some of them feel
that they are merely being led up
onto a high mountain with a view
to being tempted to 60 back to
the fold, and they intimate that
the pipes of peace now extended
to them are following too quickly
the well-remembered lead pipes
of 1912.
Democrats are naturally willing
for the progressives and repub-
licans to remain separate parties.
for it means a greater likelihood
of continued democratic success
at the polls, although the demo-
Gratis should not at any time for
get that the progressives are the
second party and are plenty strong
enough to insist on the good be-
havior of the democrats.
A meeting of the republican
national committee is set for Dec.
16, anditis possible that a nation.
al convention will be called for
some time next year. At this
time it does not appear that any
success will follow the effort to
unite republicans and progress
sives. Theodore Roosevelt states
that there is no common ground,
no common belief, and no neces-
sity for warning ideas or interests
to unite into one party a1and GER
tain it is that no party can live
with any great amount of dis
sention in its ranks. He is utterly
opposed to uniting, and the pro-
gressive organizations of many
states refuse to take any part.
In this state, the progressive or
ganization is particularly bitter
against republicans. and the sem
atorial fight next year will revolve
largely upon the action of Senator
Jones in clinging to the stand
pat party while claiming to be
progressive.
The tariff has been the disputed
question for years. This will be
largely settled in a few years
trial, and it will either be the
means of bringing many repub-
licans and progressives into the
democratic party, or driving dem
ocrats into one of these parties.
People no longer believe that
they are obliged to follow any
one party, and if one party ad-
vocates the most good measures.
that party can win, though there
be q dozen opposing parties.
Hence there is no need for re-
publicans or progressives to worry