Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-11-05
Reform and Politics

1t is always difficult matter to pin the prores
slonal reformer down to specific facts and practical
remedies Reformers IL rule and political re-
formers almost invariably, either high above the
needs and comprehension of tie masses or delvc in
the muck far below them Your balanced sensible
and human reforner is just us rare now in the days
OF uprisngs and continual disturbances as ever lii
fact the world is seriously in need of the right kind
OF reformers-those actuated by intelligence and
selfshness and who rightly measure the deficiencies
and emissions Of society and government and gauge
their remedial proposals. to fit actual conditions But
the right kind Of reform is now at low ebb Hys-
terra and frenzy seldom accomplish anything useus.
Let the reader run his mental eye down the list OF
lattelday retorners and schedule the actual benefits
they have achieved. The result is not inspiring
Many OF our most obtrusiye reformers really
not quite certain what they are making all their noise
about. Let consider the case of Victor Murdoch
OF Kansas, as an example. Mr.. Murdoch was an orig
1nal insurgent" Of congress, he is yocferous ere
former and now member of the Progressive or,
ganfzation. Lut what has Mr.. Murdoch actually &C
complished? He first came into national notice for
the warfare ne made upon the rules of the House OF
Representatives. Thanks to a change Of adminstra-
ton brought about largely through the action Of the
Progressives, these rules have been changed But
are they changed for the better? No impartial OBJ
the old ones; in fact, they are much worse. The
caucus rule is distinctly retrogressive and tending
to oligarchy. They have outdOnc "Cannonisln" to Il
degree. Mr.. Murdoch proudly points to the uprising
OF the Progressives as reform But this is
farcica The Progressiyes advocate certain "princi-
PIES some OF which are foolish and bad and some
OF which are sensible and beneficial But the sensible
and beneficial principles such as are advocated
oy all good people of all parties and cannot be said
to belong to the Progressives any more than the
decalogue the Golden Rule. Assuming that all
political parties have good principles and bad prin-
cples the matter resolves itself into the simple oper-
alton of determining which party has the most good
and the least bad.
Practically all of the great reforms and better
ments which this country has enjoyed during the past
half century fathered by the Republican party.
This party has every emergency faced all great
questions and adopted all measures that were enc tied
TOR the benefit Of the people in all that period OF
years. In such q busy it is true that So ne
opportunities have been overlooked time has
permitted OF their proper consideration The result
has been that impatient political macontens have
picked up the few omissions or new obligations arts,
Ing from conditions, added to them general hui
man1tarlan ideas and tried found political party
on them These are the "prnciples' OF the Progress
slve party. The country is called upon to decide
whether the party OF half century OF progress and
accomplishment, reform and remedial achievement is
not now best fitted to complete the work, rather
than trust to- the good faith strength and purpose Of
new and untrled party, made up largely Of disap
pointed or dscredited politicians and those who tenl-
peramentally ever want something and different
and which has already proven disappointment and
failure politically.