The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-11-04
BENNINGTON, VT, NOV. 4, 1913.
THE PROGRESSIVE VIEW


| of the Progressive party, has written
Tile Banner letter relative TO the
political situation in Massachusetts
! which comes to "A head in this weeks
election. The lette' is as follows:
Editor of The Banner:-The com
ing election in the State OF Massa-
| chusetts presents such an unusual
situation in political life that few
| comments at this time on that stu
alton may be of value. We find six
candidates running for the honor OF
being governor of Massachusetts.
Personally. all of these men stano
high as individuals II is therefore
of some moment what these gentle
men stand for and what the plat
forms behind them stand for. Much
| has been said in the last year along
the lines that there was no real in
terest for the National Progressive
party. The present campaign IN
Massachusetts would seem to be a
good answer to this question.
No one denies but that both the
Democratic and Republican party
platforms were changed and Progress
sive planks put therein for the bener
fit of the people in Massachusetts
solely because of what the Progress
sive. party stood for in the state. If
the Progressive Party has accom-
plished nothing elsein New England,
we are worthy of existence for what
we have done for the platforms in
the three leading parties in the state
| of Massachusetts, AS result OF
this we find unique situation. Mr.,
Walsh, candidate OF the Democratic
party stands on the Democratic
platform endorsing the initiative and
referendum and in his own speeches
endorsing these two planks and with
a personal record behind him of vot'
ing. al every opportunity that he has
had in public life. against both the
initiative and referendum bills.
Mr.. Gardner. the candidate of the
Republican party, under the columns
of the new Republicanism standing
on a platform made up of many of
the Prog ,essive party planks, also
has record behind him of being
omniously silent in Washington
| when there was real need OF pro.
gressve being at the front. 1t Is
true that he was classed as an in
surgent, but his insurgency was very
short lived. Within the last tou'
days there has been such an open
movement in Massachusetts that II
is practically acknowledged by gu
concerned that the re-actionary men
of the Democratic and Republican
parties have come together with but
one purpose, and that is the defeat
of Mr.. Bird. II is another demon
STATION of what the Progressive par.
~ has claimed from the very frs,
that in the final analysis there is no
difference between re-actionary
Republican and re.actionary DEM
ocrat and that they WILL represent
ing as they do the especial interests,
get togethe. from time o time for the
purpose of defeating a progressive
party candidate. Whatever the, re-
suit may be the Progressive party Of
New England has reason to be proud
of its candidate in Massachusetts
and the campaign the pa -ty has con
Quoted
Realizing that there are true diff
ference of opinion as to the political
situation of today. still it would
seem tina. the editorial in the Mont
pelier Journal of this morning Oc'.
20. has Tor it's foundation weird
idea "a TO what the real condition is
in Massachusetts. They suggested
Mr. Bird retire from the fight in or
der that Mr. Gardner may be elected.
Mr.. Bird was a candidate for the gov
ernorship of Massachusetts long be
fore Mr.. Gardner had any idea of en-
tcring the race Under the guidance
of Matthew Hale and Chas. Henry
Davis. Mr.. Bird has conducted what
is conceded by all parties TO be he
most complete political campaign
indt HIS ever UGH tHdtlfu lh view
England. To ask him within six
days of election to reti-e in favor of
a man who came late into the race
and who apparently has been weak
candidate from the first is, to say the
least. most peculiar request. Par
ticularly coming along the lines OF
the now famous get-together idea
which. as | have before stated
through your columns, seems to be
from the Republican standpoint sole
~ the idea of the disintegration Of
the Progressive party. We regard
that, both as officials and individuals.
in the Progressive parry that We
have and shall continue to decline
any such amalgamation theory.
Charles Sumner Bird. Of Walpole
whether OF not he is elected Cover
nor OF Massachusetts. is the finest
type Of New England manhood lie
has put in practise into his own life.
principles for which he is standing
in the gubernatorial campaign. II
he is not elected. il viii be the