Daily Kennebec journal., 1914-02-14
SPIRIT AND ABILITY LACKING
IN PROGRESSWES OF CONGRESS
CONTINUED from Page one)

House, the answer is very simple If
the Progressives had a program which
was radically different from that of
any other party, and if they had,
moreover the ability to insist on
their program, they could focus the
attention of the entire country upon
their group, and they could practical
ly force the party in power to recog-
nize them and either yield to them or
else stubbornly oppose them. The Pro-
gressives could stand together, 20
strong, and so embarrass the major
ity party in its regular parliamentary
procedure, that the wheels of legisla-
ton would be stopped. They could
adopt the militant minority tactics
which have been adopted from time
immemorial by every radical minor
ity group in the parliaments of Eu-
rope. They could filibuster, obstruct.
heckle and explode in score Of diff
ferent ways. They could become
known to the country as the new in
surgent group in Congress, fighting for
the right against the great forces of
inertia and reaction.
The Progressives could do all these
things, as has been said, IL their pro-
gram was such that they could do
nothing else; or, if they had the spirit
and ability necessary for this accom-
plishment. The reason why they have
not impressed themselves upon the
country and Congress is two-fold.
Their program, while in many respects
more radical than that of the DEM
ocrats, is not the spontaneous growth
of their own work. AS a matter of
fact, the bills introduced by the Pro-
gressives were written for them by a
committee of experts in New York
City, handed to them on a tray, with
instructions what to say about them
when asked embarrassing questions.
This statement, while not literally ex-
act, gives the correct general idea
The point Is. the Progressives don't
know as much about progressivism as
do the people who run their party
for them. In the nature Of things,
therefore, the Progressives in Con-
gress have been practically dummies
| on the end of strings, and the hand
whose office it was to pull the strings
has been idle.
Personalities.
The rest of the trouble Is that the
Proeressives are not men of marked
| ability. In their group, to be sure, are
some striking figures, notably Murdoch
of Kansas. Macdonald of Michigan
and Kelly of Pennsylvania. Murdock,
| famed far and wide for his hghtlng
oualities as exhibited in the anti-Can-
non fight, has been a very good NIL
nority leader. He has played second
! fiddle to James R. Mann, the Repup-
Iican minority leader. He has played
it WE'LL and everybody likes Murdock,
believes him to be honest, and points
with pride to the fact that as times
goes on he is becoming more raalcai
/ than more conservative. But 1t is also
the fact that neither Murdock nor kei-
! ,v. on whose shoulders the chief re-
/ snonsibility for the conduct of the Pro-
| eressive group has rested, have laid
out any plan of warfare, any con-
/ certed action by the Progressive group
as a group which has been either strlk-
1 ing or effective. It is the opinion Oh
MANY syrnpathizers of the progress
ives. and in fact of all their opponents
that they have failed to do what Woulu
have been a very easy thing II they
had only tried to do 1t.
The difference between the progress
sives and the Republicans or Demo-
Gratis is so small that 1t can hardy DE
detected. Both Republicans and FRO
eressives denounce the secret caucus
and both Democrats and ProgresslVes
cwhen local issued did not prohipio
voted for the Underwood tariff Dill. On
the currency bill there was no ciear
line of demarcation, and the penolhs
trust legislation apparently Will De
nassed without the country's knowing
that there is any difference IN the
world between the trust ideas OF
George w. Perkins and those OF Woco-
row Wilson. Progressive leaders IN
washington are admittedly worried
about the future Of their party III It's
future follows the lines which II IS
laying down for itself in the present.
there would seem to be good cause TOT
| this feeling of encouragement.