The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-11-20
WASHINGTON LETTER,

sion last week for the avowed pur-
pose of taking the first step in the
gigantic task of healing the wounds
from which the G. o. p is suffering.
But these wounds, aggravated when
laid open afresh by the victory OF
the progressive party in Massachu-
sets, where the republican candidate
ran third, and by the election in
Pittsburgh, where Senator Penrose,
arch-standpatter, evened the score by
beating the progressive organization,
were bleeding as badly after the
meeting as before. The one thing
the law committee lid was to throw
up it's hands and leave the matter up
to the meeting in Washington next
month of the national committee
the same national committee which
split the party by it's actions at the
Chicago convention last year.
But to save the national commit
tee the embarrassment Of reviewing
it's own acts at Chicago, the law COM
mittee decided that the national body
had no authority to change the rules
Of representation, which was the de-
mand of such of the progressives
who had not gone over to the new
party. This, it was decided, could
only be done by a convention. Then
the law committee expressed grave
concern that such a convention, if
held, would prove unwieldly. 1t was
pointed out that while the national
committee may cali the convention
for a specified object, there is no
law on earth to hold the convention
to disposition alone of the business
mentioned in the call. After assem-
bling, the convention is it's own
master, and the national committee
is but it's agent. The convention
could go as far as it likes, even to
the extent of adopting some real re-
forms, which seems to worry the old
guard.
And that the old guard still main
tains it's dictatorship over the repub-
lican party is just now very apparent.
A suggestion was made that Charles
D. Hilles, resign from the chairman
ship of the national committee, so
that no one connected with the Chi.
cago fiasco should even try to as
sumo leadership in the attempted
party rehabilitation. Mr.. Hil4es,
however, said he had not the slight
est intention of resigning. The Des
Moines Register and Leader, voicing
the sentiments of the progressive re-
1ublicans, declares that "Huerta is
as likely to voluntarily resign in
Mexico as the present national COM
mittee is to resign or submit to any
curtailment of it's powers
The Register and Leader makes it
plain that it is not very sanguine
over the results of any plan of re-
Mobilization engineered by the men it
holds responsible for wrecking the
party, even though Senator Cummins
whom it has always supported, has
been active in attempting to concili-
ate the republican factions, having IN
mind the campaign he will have on
his hands next year when he comes
up for reelection. The Des MOlnes
paper also takes emphatic issue with
Senator Cummins on another point
his criticism of President Wilson
Of assuming leadership in pressing
the administration legislative pro-
gram. Instead OF approving Senator
CGmmins' criticism of the president
the Register and Leader says:
The president will be criticised
bnt he will live to see every presi~
dent responsible legislative leader.
The president is the officer the people
elect, he is the candidate who goes
before the country with the legisla-
tive program and who promises that
it will be carried out. Without him
there is nobody with authority to
act"
Senator Cummins criticised Presi-
dent Wilson for taking the leader
ship in procuring the passage of the
tariff bill. The Register and Lead
er sustains this action, declaring:
TT is very we'll to assume in our
patriotic moments that republican
senators and representatives would
have helped shape the Underwood
tariff if they had been permitted
with no thought but for the good of
the, country. But in our matter of
fact moments it is we'll to confess, at
least to ourselves, that the republic
cans would have made the Under
wood tariff as absurd today as they
made the Cleveland tariff absurd
twenty years ago." AS further re-
hinder of the strength of President
Wilson's position, attention is called
to the plight President Taft found
himeslf in when he came to Winona
to talk about tariff he was held re-
sponsible for, but did not help frame.
Members of the Iowa democratic
delegation are not particularly inter-
ested in any defense the republican
press makes of President Wilson, as
they know his acts and the acts of
his administration are approved by
the great bulk of the people, but they
are interested in this passage be-
tween the Senator and one of the
papers, which, like the Sioux City
Tribune, formerly was one of his
chief supporters and now is CRITICS.
ing him for his present course. Such
straws as these are held to be elo-
quent of the gathering discord which
will make itself evident in the cam
paign next year, and which the demo-
cratic leaders here and at home con-
fldently believe will result in the cleo
ton OF democratic senator in Iowa,
next year. a.. [.s4.@.
Another straw is furnished by a
recent statement from Judge Stevens
who polled big vote last year as the
party candidate for gov
ernor in Iowa. Judge Stevens says