Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1913-04-02

will come for breaking ranks to- a
greater or less extent and reforming
the lines. Radicals may be restrain
cd and progressive republicans may
make up for the detection of conser-
yatiye democrats, and q certain de-
gree OF nonpa1t1zanship may find eff
feet In tariff legislation from the ir-
resistable force of political events
which had their origin far back Of
last years campaign. How far the
breaking of lines and the realine:
ment Of forces may go, how lasting
the result may be, or how it may
affect subsequent action on other
questions Of policy, cannot now be
calculated. There is an interesting
possibility that in the course Of the
pres ent administration at Washing
ton there may be substantial rear
rangement OF forces in the dual par
ty division"
..The Progressive party, captained
BY Mr.. Roosevelt, will find the task
Of maintaining a separate organiza-
ton increasingly difficult" remarks
the Philadelphia Public Ledger, If
the democrats and the progressive re
publicans work in harmony, during
the coming session. In this CON
nection special interest attaches 70
the following comment in the, Pro-
gressiye New York Press: ig z.
In the campaign OF last year radl-
cal democrats turned from Mr. WAL
son to Mr.. Roosevelt. Just how many
of them there were it would not be
easy to say, for the situation became
complex. There We're republicans
voting for Mr.. Wilson because they
were hopeless Of Mr.. Taft and did
not wish to see Mr.. Roosevelt elected
There were democrats voting Tor MI.
Roosevelt because he and his plat,
form suited their liberal views better
than Mr.. Wilson and his platform 2,
There were even ultra-conseryatlYe
democrats voting for Mr.. Taft. not
because they thought Mr.. Taft had
any chance Of election, but because
they were unwilling to give their
ballots to either of the progressive
candidates.
There is no figuring, therefore, as
to Just how the parties did split up.
But whatever the proportions o.
democrats, republicans, and Progress
lives in any party, the democratic
party polled low-tide vote. Presi
dent Wilson is setting out upon a
progressive program. This may lose
his party more conservative votes
than were lost in the campaign last
year. In any event, there are yacan
cies Z in the democratic ranks to be
filled. II they are to be filled, the
new material must come from Pro
gressive sources, since Mr.. Wilson lis
to follow a progressive course, actu
ally alternating more Il conservatives
and Theoretically attracting progress
ives. a5tassS s. a
evidently he feels confident tina
such progressive republicans as re
fused to go with Mr.. Roosevelt las
year will continue to refuse to &c
with him, but that some OF the pro
gressiVe elem ent of the republican
party can be dislodged, and that Mr.
Wilson and his liberal party Nigh
get a share Of it. 81 NJ. Il
This would not be bad pol1tlca
reasoning. Senator La Toilette is !
progressive republican who Woult
not 60 with, Mr.. Roosevelt. In thu
west he had, and perhaps still mas
q following OF progressive republl
cans that presumably chose in tn
recent campaign the way Mr.. y:
Toilette chose. If the senator from
i WISCONSIN can be induced virtual!
to Join the Wilson forces it may b.
that a consid cradle proportion OF tn
La Toilette followers can be induced
to 90 along with their chief. Thu
i IL No. q
in reinforcing the ranks Of his party
1t is something that is worth consld
Ieration by both the Progressive PAL
lty and the republican party.
1t is interesting, too, to note tina
Colonel Roosevelt chooses this me
ment to tell a Philadelphia audienc
that the time has come when IN
lprogFessives In congress should stan
as separate party. And a few day
later Washing ton dispatch to tn
Progressive Philadelphia North Ameri
can carries the information tina
"Representative Victor Murdoch, o
Kansas, has declared himself out o
the republican party, and Will o.
chosen the Progressive leader in tn
new House of Representatives" Thu
same dispatch continues:
1T is figured now that instead o
having only twenty men who VII
stand together as Progressives il
the House the number will not bt
less than thirty, and that before
the session is over it may exceed
forty. II. u. sf5
"The growth OF Progressive strength
and Of Progressive sentiment Is re
Elected in this rapid increase in tht
Progressive representation in con
gress. n
SIT assures natural and logica
outcome Of present conditions in al
amalgamation Of all real Progressive
no+ affiliated with the democratlt
party into an effective organization
which will seek no further alliance
with republicans, but will stand, as
the Progressive party stands, for the
best interests of the public, regard
LESS Of past political affiliations"
''In the next three years Battling
Bob will be very much>in the lime
light" predicts the Philadelphia Rec
lord (Dem.), ''and his influence in
1916 is likely to prove more potent
in many ways than 1T was in 1872
And in another democratic paper, the
Columbia, S. c., State. we read:
1T is natural that the Wisconsin
Progressive should be in good humor
He is more concerned in the success
Of true progress in government than
in the success of parties, and, there
fore, while not a democrat, he has
present occasion for qualification.
But there are other causes for
Senator La Follette's good humor.