The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1913-08-21

party which demands the immediate
repeal of reciprocity is the Progress
sive Party and the only candidate
pledged to work for its repeal is Mr.
Lawrence. Here is one of the diff
ferences between the Republicans and
the Progressives.
Some are saying that Taft is out of
the Republican Party. If this is true
why was Taft man nominated by the
Republicans of this district for con-
gress? Why did Taft in the gown
of a Professor tell his Yale students
only last May that the principles of
the Progressives were reactionary
and that only his doctrines, such as
government by representative part
of the people, were the doctrines of
Progress. If Cannon was out of the
Republican Party why did he write an
article in the Saturday Evening Post
this summer favoring the Republican
Party saying that the Progressiyes
would blow up the constitution with
dynamite if they had chance.
In a masterful letter to Judge
Peters which the kennebec Journal
has not published, and TO which Judge
Peters with all his ability has as yet
been unable to reply, Mr.. Lawrence
has with habitual clearness and
energy set forth the difference of the
two parties on the tariff. He showed
with truth that the Progressiyes are
fighting for a tariff commission with
power while the Republicans defeated
such a commission in the Payne AL
drich bill substituting for it an almost
powerless group of men under the
name of tariff board He showed
how the Progressiyes believe that the
tariff is a business issue and should
be settled in a business way SO that
its benefits appear in the pay envelope,
so that the cost of living will not ad
vance faster than wages, while the
Republicans say wages are not affect
ed by the tariff.
Mr. Lawrence also pointed out that
the Progressives are fighting for ma
tional child labor law, for working
mems compensation acts, one day of
rest each week, an eight hour day
in continuous "a hour industries, for
the general Improvement of the
chance to make an honest living. Con-
corning these subjects of vital impor-
lance to us who work in mills, in the
woods, on the drive and on the farms,
Mr. Peters and the Republican Party
do not propose any definite program
In the last Legislature every Progress
sive worked for the workingmen's
compensation act. Enough Republi-
cans joined with the Democrats TO de
feat it. Suppose as Mr.. Pattangall
says this law was not perfect. 1t
was a step in the right direction and
one step ahead is better than none.
We leave it to the people to think
over these facts and decide whether
the Republicans and Progressiyes are
practically alike.
Let the reader think who are the
leading Republicans and Democrats
in his own town. For the most part
they are wealthy men, bankers and
lawyers who do not know or have
forgotten what it means to work on a
farm from before sunrise till after
sunset, or what it means To work in
a mill from whistle to whistle. They
are Republicans or Democrats be
cause both of the old parties favor
them. Here and there may be
found a Well-to-do-man who remem-
bers his upward struggle who has
kept in touch with the common peo-
pie, and that man is a Progressive.
The strength of the Progressiyes is
the strength of the common people.
Very truly yours,
MERTON I. GOODRICH.