Daily Kennebec journal., 1913-12-26

form adopted, the recall of judicial
decisions has been dropped from the
public creed of that organization. In
this they followed the example of their
brethren in Massachusetts, who were
silent as to thls issue in the recent
State campaign.
The significance of this and its i'm
portance are great. The great pro-
test of the third party, their constant
subject of discussion and denuncia-
ton, was against the rules of proceed
nre governing national conventions and
the number of delegates from States
where the existence of the Republican
party was something more academic
than real. In orderly fashion and with
real unanimity, both of these sore
srots have been eliminated by the Re-
publicans.
Tho greatest of all objections which
the Republicans have made to the Pro-
gressiVe declaration of principle has
becn the proposal of the recall of
Judges and the recall of judicial deci-
sions, In the two States where the
Progressives are the most powerful,
Massachusetts,, and Illinois, the advo-
cacy of these has been suspended, IL
not abandoned. The great bone Of
contention between the two armies of
ontSDemecrats is being removed by
the Progressives themselves.
No one party and no one set of men
have either copyright or patent right
to the term progressive any more than
&c the use of the American flag as an
emblem of belief But the Republican
party is one of real progress. What
1t has achieved is an earnest of q full
er future. 1t is devoted to those ideals
which have made the nation great. 1t
is not content to rest upon past
achievements, nor to substitute rem
iniscenee for determination and action.
1t believes, with Bacon, that what
man does not alter for the better, time
alters for the worse"
The Republican party, however, does
not believe in always being on the
move, no matter in what direction or
with what velocity, merely because it
Is motion. 1t does not believe in radi-
cal and sweeping changes, merely for
the sake of change. 1t believes in mod
lhcation and Improvement wherever.
and whenever such are possible, not in
an entire casting away of existing in
stitutions. 1t believes in the onward
march, ever forward, but not neces-
saflly always at a quickstep. 1t pre-
ters evolution to revolution.
The Republican party of today is
uncha1ned to the past, free from men
tai shaekles that bind. 1t believes
that government to be effective must
nave three great qualities, it must be
representative, responsive and respon-
slele- 1t believes in legislation that
VIII build up, not in that which can
only tear down. 1t has no syrnpathv
with somewhat popular creed that
every man and every company of men
are guilty until proven innocent II
STANDS for progress, orderly progress.
upon well-considered lines. It does nor
1aVor Sherman march to the sea.
through the business life of the nation
Whlch would leave behind its trail of
loss and desolation.
IN such a party there is place for
every progressive man. In it he can
pest 90 MS work in the uprooting of
the oQtgrown and archaic, and with
out disturbing the life and the growth
oil that which is proper and legitimate.
A merger of the forces that onnosa
democratic principles and policy Is in
evitabie. The. gathering place for the
hsht to come must be the Republicap n
party. And such it will be.