Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-22
REUN|T|NG THE
PROGRESSVES
Republican and Bull Moose
Progressives Impotent Be-
cause Divided.
ROOSEVELT ALONE
PREVENTS REUNION
To Advance Progressivism and Ma
tional Welfare Progressives Must
Combine and Realign.
VIII
Editorial Correspondence of The Star
BY THEODORE w. MOVES.

To promote progressivism in the Unit
ed States the scattered groups of pro-
gressives should in accordance with their
natural affiliations combine and then re-
align.
For example. the republican progress
sives in the late Taft camp and the bull
moose progressives in the late Roosevelt
camp instead of sneering and striking at
one another should be "courting.'
The recent elections in Massachusetts,
Michigan. Illinois and Missouri ad-
monsh them that each faction needs
the other: and each as a consequence of
what happened to it in the presidential
election should have for the other, not
contempt. but profound respect.
For whichever of these two political
armies is to be viewed as regular and
which bolter the bolt in either case
was fatally effective. defeating and
humiliating the organ ization against
which it was directed.
Let us for the moment view Roosevelt
as the de jure republican nominee as he
claimed to be. and Taft as the boiler. Let
us disregard the fact that Roosevelt and
the progreSsives were equally responsible
with the other faction for a nominating
convention constituted that its deci-
sion did not represent the opinion of the
republicans in the states which might
cast republican votes. Let us assume
that Roosevelt had ma jority of the del
egates from the republican or doubtful
states and might therefore be considered
as in equity Ton the principle that what
ought to be done shall be considered as
done) the rightful nominee of the repub-
| lcan party and that Taft and his follow
ers were the real boilers.
This bolt of the Taftites based on oppo-
sition to third presidential term and to
certain radical constitutional threatening
doctrines. was distinctly and impressively
effective.
1t took half the republican vote from
the great popular leader of the repub-
that leader had deprecated as his own
ungrateful puppet, made by him and to
be unmade at his pleasure.
Taft's Bolt as Fatal as Roosevelt's.
Roosevelt's total popular vote 4,l17 .s13)
exceeded Taft's e. 1868 by 6Sl .497 But
Roosevelt's total includes several hundred
thousand of populistic democratic votes
in response to his non-partisan, radical
appeal, and to Taft's total should fairly
be added several hundred thousand anti
Roosevelt republican voters who. hopeless
of Tafts election. cast their ballots for
Wilson in order to assure ROosevelt's de-
feat. Considerably more than half of
ROOSevelts plurality over Taft came from
California and South Dakota, where there
was no official Taft ticket to be voted for
Either Roosevelt's appeal to democratic
progressives ELECTED only a contemptuous
and humiliating response or he failed to
poll even half Of the republican party.
In the light of these figures it appears
that the Taft bolt against third term
and constitution-assailing candidacy
polied more republican votes than this
candidate polled. 1t controlled more votes
than Roosevelt's total in twenty states of
the Union. including such vitality impor-
tant states as New York. Ohio. Wiscon-
sin. Massachusetts. Missouri Connecticut
and Kentucky. 1t prevented Roosevelt
state except South Dakota, where there
was no Taft ticket in the running and
where the result of about thousand ma
jority for Roosevelt was determined not
by his own strength, but by bolt to him
from Wilson of a silver ex-republican
group of voters who resented in this way
what they viewed as Clark's betrayal at
Baltimore. In California, one Of the most
radically progressive states of the Union,
with its governor appealing to state pride
as vice presidential candidate on the
Roosevelt ticket. and with no Taft
official ticket in opposition. Roosevelt
could only divide the electoral vote with
Wilson. choosing his eleven electors by a
beggarly plurality of ls5, and suffering
the humiliation of an anti-Roosevelt ma
jority in the state of over 5000.
Viewed as boilers Taft's 3,4S6,316 votes
are just as fatally destructive of Roose-
welt as Roosevelt's 4.117,Sl3 We're and are
destructive of Taft. A fall of 900 feet is
as fatal as one of 1000 feet and the po-
| litical candidate, pushed over the preci-
pice of defeat to his destruction and fall
ing the shorter distance. smashing near
ly every bone in his political body is in
no shape to justify his mourners in gloat-
ing over the other unfortunate who has
fallen little farther and Is reduced a
little nearer to pulp.
The Taft VS.. Roosevelt scrap of 1912
was fought to Kilkenny cat finish, de-
molishing both combatants.
Roosevelt's successful bolt taught that
a progressive party cannot be led by real
or even suspected reactionaries. Taft's ef-
fective bolt taught that the progressives to
be victorious must not be handicapped by
the candidacy of third-term President
proclaiming the popular recall Of judicial
decisions. The net result of both bolts
is to admonish the 100000 republican
voters to get together for 1916 on plat
form and with a candidate that are
neither reactionary nor unduly radical
and that violate no national tradition
Taft gracefully accepts as final the ad-
verse decision of 1872. There seems to be
no foundation for an appeal to the future
against the peoples verdict on Roosevelt
part.
Progressives Divided Are Impotent.
What is there to bring over to Roose.
welt in 1916 progressive republicans who
| resisted him in 1912? What Is there to
| encourage the belief that Roosevelt car
ever get more in his Ishmaelitish role OF
abusive hostility TO all other political
groups than his four million voters OF
1872?
The indications are that he will never
| Mark well This