The Commonwealth. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1911-1914, 1913-01-31
The Bull Moose
Has Cashed In
BY Morris Williams in N. S.


banner of social and Industrial justice
is to be furled. The doughty warri-
ors of the Almighty are to unbuckle
their armor.
The party of the new progressivism
is now shown in its true light-a band
of men who saw no chance for them
selves in the hideous corruption of
the grand old party that they them
selves built up, and who fraudulently
gathered for their own selfish ends
the splendid democracy that was in
the air. The Films and the Wood
rufus and the Cockrans have betrayed
the Lindseys and the Moskowitzes.
The manner of it is thus: Frank
Munsey, intermittent reformer but
steady collector of tribute from steel
mill slaves, has been the chief tom
tom beater for the progressive" par
ty. His dull p, 9ers and duller maya
zines have been the principal uphold
er of the party of Roosevelt. After
holding out as an Independent party
for all of five months Count rhem),
he has finally come out with a great
pronuciamento that it is ali in vain:
that it can never be. On January 8
the entire first page of the New York
Press-the paper, by the way, that in
glazing head lines announced that
hoI CHI 1ry fol
ist-Was taken up by a long editorial
by Mr.. Munsey, captioned as follows:
"A possible scheme for amalgamating
the republican and progressive par
ties that ought to be acceptable to
each" The subhead goes on to say
Roosevelt and Taft combined had
plurality over Wilson of 1,305,033.
United, the republican and progress
siye parties would be the dominant
party; divided, each is in a hopeless
minority. The commonsense, bust
nesslil1e thing to do is to get togeth-
er. The scheme herein discussed
points the way to getting together"
He begins by the absolute surren-
der of all the principles of the party
that he built up with so much labor
and money. Before election the party
was the only agency that stood be-
tween the business men and socialism.
Now there is nothing in a party name,
nothing in party ideals. There is only
a mass of voting cattle, good for trad
ing, barter, and sale. He says
81 am throwing out the thought for
what it is worth, throwing it out for
consideration by those of the republi-
can and progressive parties to whom
an efficient and powerful amalga-
mated organization would mean more
than party prejudice, or prejudice in
favor of an empty name.
'Wilson was elected president in
November by total vote of $685.
063. The combined vote of Roosevelt
and Taft was 5000 or a plurality
over Wilson of 1,905,O33 A combina-
ton of the republican and progress
sive parties, if it could be brought
about, would make the amalgamated
organization the dominant political
force in the country.
"As Independent parties, each is in
a hopeless minority as compared with
the democratic party. To continue as
distinct entities means to continue for
an indefinite time in the minority
trenches, perhaps for a very long
time.
ut is not probable, however, that
the enormous lead of the democratic
party over either the republican or
the progressive party will disappear.
The margin of nearly two to one is
far too great.
"A quick, sure way of overcoming
the democratic supremacy would be
through an alliance of the republican
and the progressive parties. Indeed,
this is the only apparent way it is
likely to happen in the immediate or
near future. But is it possible to
bring about such a union?
Il don't believe it is, if it is a ques-
ton of either party going over TO the
other. It is a practical certainty that
the proeressiyes, with their numeri-
cal strength, as shown in the recent
election by a popular majority over
the republicans of 81981g, win not
go over to the republican party. Tt
looks to be about equally probable
that the republican party win not as
"a body. come over to the proEressiVe8.
Neither party has amy love for the
other Indeed, the republicans are
bitter against the progasaives for
splitting the party and relocating it
-8 third place Iu the popular vote Of
the country. The pr3srassiFe5 are
equally bitter against the republic
cans"
There you have it-a confession Of