The Daily Missoulian., 1913-05-19
funny CONFERENCE
VAS THAT HELD
IN CHICAGO
=
sELF- PROGRESSED LEADERS OF
THE q. o. p. ARE FooLiNe
ONLY THEMSELVES.


been given during the last few days
to q meeting of so-called republican
leaders" in Chicago, the advertised
purpose of which was to bring about,
If possible. union of the progress
sive party with the republican party.
who are these new Republican
leaders?" They are Senators Albert
b. Cummins and w. s. Kenyon of
Iowa, William E. Borah of Idaho and
A. j. Gronna of North Dakota and
former Governor Hadley of Missouri.
This is the first appearance Of all
these men in the role of national
leaders" of the republican party. Each
OF them has attained prominence in
republican leadership in his own state,
but none has heretofore professed to
play an important part in national
republican" leadership
What evidence Is there that the re-
publican party is ready in any respect
to give heed to the leadership of any
of these men? On the old rule of judg-
ing the future by the past, the evil
dence is that the republican party has
no interest in the doings of these new
leaders and will pay no attention
to their leadership"
All five OF them were either per-
sonally in attendance In Chicago last
June or were represented there. Mr..
Hadley was the floor leader of the
Roosevelt forces in that convention and
Mr. Borah was an advocate of the
nomination Of Mr.. Roosevelt. Mr..
Kenyon was there in the interests of
the nomination of Mr. Cummins and
Mr.. Gronna was there as supporter
of Senator lie Toilette All Of them
were then opposed to the national
leadership" of the republican party
represented in Chicago by "Bill'
Barnes and Elihu Root Of New York
Penrose of Pennsylvania, Crane OF
Massachusetts, Dave Mulvane OF
Knasas, Tom Devine and Archie
Stevenson Of Colorado. Ralph Will
liams of Oregon, and the rest Of thai
unsavory group.
The national leadership Of the re
publican party has not changed il
personnel or in character since tha
convention. Nothing has occurred Z
enhance the standing, the influence d
the authority OF these new leaders il
the republican party" For reasons of
their own, they have chosen to remain
in party whose leadership and whose
actions they have opposed and de-
nounced. One Of them. Mr.. Hadley,
has explained that he chose to remain
regular for reasons Of expectancy
which might not apply outside o. Mis-
souri,"
Why are these men suddenly called
Republican leaders?" 1t was only year
before last that the real leaders Of
the republican party were going up
and down through the line breathing
fire and slaughter and reading then
everlastingly out of the party. And i
was only last year that the republican
party officially and publicly rebuffet
and discredited them. Nothing saw,
their own claim now gives title t.
these gentlemen to assert republican
leadership. There is no pretense of
other authority in their proposition.
It has and it pleads but one justifi
cation-that of their own dire ne
cessity. Their personal situation, be
cause of their refusal to take the open
honest course, has become desperate
and they urgently need relief. They
could have gotten relief last year. and
they still can get it. but there is onl.
one way to get it, and that is b.
joining the progressive party. and not
as they propose, by having the pro
&I6SSIVeS JOIN LIE IcpuDIlGdl party
and surrender the incalculable ad-
vance that has been won by years
effort.
The reforms these gentlemen nov
propose for adoption by the republican
party are not new. They themselve
have proposed the same reforms be
fore and the republican leaders t
whom the proposition was submitte
scornfully rejected them. What evi
dence or hope is there now that tn
republican leaders of today, who ar
the identical individuals who befor
rebuffed these gentlemen, will not ad
NIT their error and reform?
When these gentlemen were rebuffe
previously, men who believed wit
them turned to the leadership tina
has since crystallized into the pro
gressive party. Under that leadershi
every one of the reforms that the
then, proposed has been adopted an
is now part of the progressive part