The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1913-01-23

and be a useful political instru
ment in the south except it be a
white man S party.
The complete dominance of a
section by one party, as has been
the case in the south since the
war, is good neither for the Sec
ton nor for the party itself. 1t is
menace to the rest of the coun-
try. Any solid section, be it north,
south, east, or west, is menace
to the other sections of the cOun
try. Political sentiment should
not be divided upon geographical
lines.
In view of the Importance of
party being nationwide, it is clear
that if the Republican party, as "a
present dominated, could swing
loose from clogging and archaic
conventions, and could regenerate
and vitalize itself with modern
ideas, it would still fall short of
meeting the requirements of the
day. 1t would fall short by reason
of the fact that it cannot be, within
the vision of this generation,
party Of any consequence and
standing in the south.
What l am saying is said wholly
on my own initiative and abso-.
lutely independent of any man or
men in either the Republican or
or the Progressive party. l have
purposely avoided discussing the
subject with Mr.. Roosevelt or with
any one else. wanted to be able
to state as a fact that neither the
Progressive nor the Republican
party, nor any leader of either,
is putting forth this idea nder
cover. No such intimation or pnr
pose has ever reached me from
any source, nor have l anywhere
heard the idea preached.
In this discussion am not con-
sidreing Mr.. Roosevelt's interests
or the interests of any other man
in either party. l am considering
now, as / did in the campaign, the
interests of the hundred millions.
In a general way, l know that
Mr.. Roosevelt has taken a very
firm stand against the Progressive
entering into any fusion with the
Republicans. His stand in this
respect has not been more pro-
nounced or positive than my own,
both as an individual and through
my publications. Direct amalga-
nation with the Republicans would
be practical elimination. The Pro-
gressive party, with its wonderful
start, its high purposes, and its
splendid ideas, has far too i'm
portant a work to do, as an indie
pendent party or in combination
with men of it's own kind now
enlisted under different banners,
to consider any step that might
result in self -effacement, except
upon some such plan as l have
herein suggested.
With unyielding opposition to
a direct amalgamation with the
Republicans, l would, however,
both urge and indorse a move that
would bring the two parties to-
gether on neutral ground, bring
them together with dignity and
mutual good feeling, taking over
and welding into a single instru-
ment the best policies and purpos-
es of the two organizations. 1t
would be a commonsense, bust
ness like, two-and-two-makes-four
scheme of meeting the situation.
One word more. This sugges-
tion for bringing the two parties
together does not mean, and must
not be twisted to mean, that my
relations to or interest in the Pro
gressive party are in any way
changed. Emphatieally they are
not. But clearly the same meth
DDS should prevail with regard to
politics that prevail in the wisest
, and most intelligent realms of