The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-05-13
HEALING THE BREACH

The effort made at Chicago this
week to reunite the Republican and
Progressive parties is along the only
lines that such union can be
brought about.
The public statements issued by the
Chicago conference are, of course,
carefully worded, but stripped of their
verbiage, they mean clearly that the
Republican party shall unload those
leaders who were responsible for its
downfall, who were unfaithfuI to their
trust as servants of the people, and
the complete acceptance Of the prin-
ciples advocated by the Progressives.'
1t has been favorite complaint OF
the old line Republicans that Roose-
welt and the Progressives split the
Republican party and allowed the
Democrats to win though in the min
GRITTY. Nothing could be farther from
the truth. Taft, Root. Penrose and
their associates split the Republican
party when they refused to allow the
Republican voters of the country t.
control the party convention at Chi.
cago.
Taft, with all his personal fine quail
tiles. failed as president. He failed
through installing a stand-pat cabinet
and failing to heed the call of the
people. He failed worse when he
failed to insist on the revision of the
tariff downward according to the
promise OF his platform and the de-
mand of the people. These failures
and others made him an impossibility
as candidate for reelection.
The people in November showed
this when they gave Taft nearly a
million less votes than they gave
Roosevelt. Yet. at Chicago, Root, Pen
rose and others who represent the old
gang. forced the nomination of Taft
through the use of party machinery
and rotten borough delegates from
the south. They did this not because
they loved Taft, but because they hat
ed Roosevelt. They feared that If the
|Repubiican voters were left to con.
troll their own affairs. they might
nominate Roosevelt.
Taft Root. Penrose and their as
sociates split the Republican party
and nobody else. The party can be
again reunited, IL at all. only by the
elimination of those leaders. The Re
publicans and Progressives are not
widely separated. They both believe
In maintaining the protective princi-
pie. They want a moderate reduction
or the tariff, without either the free
trade doctrines Of the south on the
one hand or the extortionate trust fos-
tering rates of the plutocrats on the
other. They are both opposed to the
silly old slavocracy doctrine of
states rights which stalks as a
menace in all Democratic party
councils. Both the Progressives and
the Republicans are supporters of
conservation. popular control of pub
lie affairs, absolute government con.
Itrol of monopolies and scores of 9th
or fundamental principles. About
| their only real difference is in their
relative attitude toward Former Pres.
ident Roosevelt
L The conference at Chicago did not
| include any Of the old reactionaries,
but was made up entirely of men who
I'are opposed 10 their way of doing
business. The offer they make is a
fair one. II is to compel complete
reorganization OF the party machine
ry so that there will be no repetition
OF the mistake or worse at Chicago,
and so that the veters can be free to
control their own affairs. 1t is in
effect an acceptance of the main fea-
turesro the Progressive program. In
fact about all except the name. The
outcome Of the attempt to reunite
will be awaited with interest.
The country Is in grave danger. as
both Republicans and Progressives
believe, through the free trade tariff
about TO be imposed by the Democrat
ic party with the south in the saddle.
Neither the Republicans nor the Pro
gressives are justified In allowing
Jealousy OF each other to stand in the
way OF united fight against theories
Of government which both believe to
be dangerous.
II the Democratic party theories. as
upheld by the Wilson administration
prove to be correct as our Democrat.
ic friends believe they viii be. Just as
sincerely and honestly as we believe
them 10 be wrong. then the Demo
Gratis ~ill remain IN power indefinite
ly. II. however. the Democratic doc
trines should prove an error, IL win be
unfortunate for the opponeuta of.that