The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1914-02-19
WASHINGTON LETTER.

Washington, D. c., Feb. 16.-Spec-
ial Correspondence again has
three democratic congressman. In
spite of the light vote, due to the
cold weather that kept voters away
from the polls, Henry Vollmer of
Davenport, was elected to fill the
vacancy caused by Congressman Pep
per's death, and the first fulfillment
lof the prophecy Of the party leaders
lin Iowa that this is a democratic
year is seen. Meantime the split in
the opposition is growing wider
Lincoln's birthday oratory gave
very conclusive evidence of this.
For instance Senator Borah, one of
the progressive wing of the republic
can party, and prominently mention
ed as the next republican candidate
for president, in New York speech
said a reorganization of the republic
can party by progressive ideas is in
evitable. In a speech at New Haven
at the same time former President
Taft took exceptions to this view.
IF we want to subscribe to every
nostrum that comes along we might
as we'll join another party simply to
get votes" he said Il believe in the
republican party principles and that
| it will stick to these principles" And
few political booms were launched
on Lincoln's birthday, which was
made more or less of a political fes-
tival this year by both republicans
and bull moosers, as both claim to
be keeping alive the Lincoln tradi-
tons, though the brands of tradi-
tons each put forth are entirely diff
ferent.
Col. Roosevelt was doomed for
governor of New York at political
gathering in New York when the
progressives of that state decided to
put full tickets in the field. James r.
Garfield member of the Roosevelt
cabinet, announced his candidacy for
governor of Ohio, on the progressive
ticket and Arthur GarfOrd his can
didacy for the United States Senate.
Clifford Pinchot is to be the progress
sive candidate against Penrose in
Pennsylvania. Henry J. Allen, who
lambasted the republicans at the last
Chicago convention, has been decid-
ed on as the progressive candidate
for governor of Kansas. Charles
Sumner Bird, who ran ahead of the |
republican candidate in the last cam
paign for governor of Massachusetts,
ANNOUNCES IlldL uc WILL d6o1u,
and so it goes. In Iowa the pro-
gressives are beginning to get riled.
They didn't make as good showing
as they expected to in the second
district, but they are Strengthening |
their organization for the campaigns
this summer and fall.
There is evidence that some of the |
republicans of progressive tendencies |
IN t1o ncciHy
party, but to the democratic party. |
The viewpoint of this faction of the
old republican party, and it Is not in
considerable in numbers. is we'll ex-
pressed in a letter published in the |
Des Moines Register and Leader
from Elias Smith, of Webster City,
who declared that he was republic
can, because his father was and until
he began to investigate things for
himself. His letter says:
Il am one that has been blind to
the inner circle of the republican
party, but when they pull off red
handed steal such as they did in
1912, | began to delve into politics
a little and have watched their SUBJ
sequent doings, to find them not
grand old party, but guilty old
PAL W, IcLdllllleo CACA AAlCidAo anu NV
changing their ways. 1t is the same
old war cry they have been fooling
us with for years, soup houses, and !
bread lines, and panics,' but they
don't rally the thinking voter to the
rescue. The individual sacrifice we
are now called upon to make won't .
last long. The money question is
practically settled and business will
go forward in spite of the mighty
efforts made to produce a panic. This
very fact ought to give us courage
to stand by the present administra- 1
ton. President Wilson seems to be ,
a man of backbone and honest inten
tons Never has there been time,
barring the Roosevelt administra-
ton when all the real sensible men
in all parties alike had so many good
words to say Of the president. This
shows we are progressing. How dear
to the heart is the name of party,
no matter how rotten it gets at the
core Let every body cry guilty old
party for it is guilty of so many
sins Of omission and commission as
to place it beyond hope of resurrec-