The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1914-01-26
AN OPEN LETTER
TO MIR. HANDLAN
EA11Y HOLMES rENprns Rxsro-
1ATIO6 AZ AEABEH or Pro-
GBE88IvE CoMIaxFTEI
says Never Intsnds- 70 Leave Rsvueu
can Farty fer oood-rAnk
Statement OF Principle.

Harry Il Holmes. OF Fifraheth- W
va. member OF the Progressive state
| COMMITTEES from Writ county has tend
cred his resignation TO Joseph n. Hand
/ ian. OF this city. chairman OF the com
! mliee- The resignation il rendered IN
an open letter addressed 20 Mr. Hand
Ian and SIR. Holmes gives Herewith MS
reasons for his action going into the
which is somewhat Lengthy. viii he read
Win general Interest throughout the
state and Is given in fun as follows;
Hon Joseph Handlan.
chairman state Progressive Com.
| Dear Sir.-t beg TO ACKNOWLEDGE the
receipt OF your communication OF the
18Th inst. advising me OF the meeting
/ OF the Executive committee OF the pro-
gressive party. TO be held in Park.rs-
burg during the last week OF the pres
| ent month. In which communicated YOU
| OF conditions generally In my county
| ana particularly as to what has been
done toward local organization. and 20
give my views a. TO candidates for
S9ngress from this Congressional Dis
In reply permit me TO say that es-
TEEN appreciate your frank open let
| ter. and will endeavor to be equally
\ frsnd ana open In my answer.
| In the nrst place. I conceive 10 nv
Snty 10 tender my resignation as a mem
Der OF the executive committee OF the
d.2s .essive party from Writ county. ana
ask mat the same be accepted. feel
compelled 10 take this course because /
am not IN sympathy with the Progressive
party movement as separate ana per
manent party organization had never
/ have been; nor do I believe that am
considerable number OF the voters IN
: this county who took part IN the move
ment and supported Colonel Roosevelt
4 IN the last campaign are Ia sympathy
! with sucn q course. For my part. I ann
Republican In principle and always
I nave been From my knowledge ana IN
| innate acquaintance with the followers
ana supporters 81 Colonel Roosevelt In
| this county. IL Is safe to say that at
! least 30 per cent OF them feel just as I
/ do about ~. When they voted FOR cot
| onel Roosevelt. they did ~ no, berause
! they had left the Republican party. nor
because they had permanently cast tleir
I 70 rebuke the methods employed In the
1hlcago convention 10 nominate Mr..
Iatt. IL was only means to AN emu
Tor the accomplishment Of n purpose.
| That purpose has been accomplished:
TN, chastisement has been administered
| and now they are content 60 return 90
| the Republican party. the party OF real
| and material progress. with 80 many
glorious achievements to its credit our
| Ing the past 20 years The voters who
] make up the so-called Progressive party
! as well as those who followed the ror-
] tunes Of Mr.. Roosevelt in the last cleo
tion are now. and were then Republicans
( In principle and believe in the funda-
mental doctrine OF the Republican party
! as hrmly as they ever did They have
not changed their political faith nor
/ their political creed. To do so would
he to admit that they have ALWAYS been
4
admission on the part OF the masses
who supported Colonel Roosevelt. and
4 they should keep the organization or
| the Progressive party: but 10 seems to
me that "a would be an admission that
| Colonel Roosevelt and the other leaders
| Of this organization have not only been
/ wrong heretofore I'm their advocacy df
| republican principles. but have acted in
| bad faith by so doing.
In 1904, Colonel Roosevelt accepted
the nomination for president at the
platform declaring FOR Republican prin-
| ctple-. That year the voters OF the
country by the largest majority ever
given In national election declared in
/ favor OF those principles OF government
set forth in the Republican platform.
4 As president. during the next four years
| he exerted all HIS great power force ana
| ability to carry out the pledges OF the
| Republican party as set forth in the Re-
| admitted that he succeeded admirably.
and the country prospered. -Four years
| Colonel Roosevelt did not actually write
the platform upon which Mr.. Taft was
nominated and elected. he completely
| dominated those who did write IL. as well
| as the national convention which adopt
I ell IL. Has the Republican party of to-
day dropped from its articles Of politi-
since 1904 and 1905? II the principles
/ 81 the party were correct in 1903 and I'm
I they are still correct and vital in this
year OF grace 1914. In all their essen
uals they are the same. II must be ad-
mitted by every one that the Republican
platform OF 1912 was the most liberal
4 and progressive ever written by a Re
publican national convention since the
party has had an existence. and was
not materially different from the one
adopted by the Progressive party, save
that in the latter were embraced some
Of the minor heresies Of the Bryan wing
OF the Democratic party. that would
seem more AZ home in a platform adopt
Cd 10y n Socialist or Populist convention
than in one adopted by men who fol-
lowed the party Of Lincoln, Grant and
Blaine. but the men who followed col
onel Roosevelt in the late election did u
not because OF the difference in the two
platforms but in spite OF them.
! The split I'm the Chicago convention
! was brought about. not over any diff
/ ference IN political creeds or political
! principles. hut over the methods used
| IN naming n candidate, and that Is no
! longer an issue. That issue was for
| ever settled on the election day In Mo-
/ vember. 1912. when Mr.. Taft and Col.
! Roosevelt both went down in defeat. II
/ now belongs TO the dead past" hut the
| vital principles Of government for
I has stood for more than half n century.
! the principles which Col Roosevelt him
self. as a candidate and president has
| endorsed. are not dead. They cannot
/ and will not die. They may suffer de-
, feat but they will not perish True
{ principles are eternal impertshable. i'm
| mortal
The Progressive party believes in the
! principle 81 protective tarin. 80 does
]
D party believes iu a sound. safe and sane
I currency so does the Republican party.
/ The Republican party in its National
3 platform. in 1919. declared its heller In
| e "scif-controlicd. representative Demo-
7 cracy. which BE- a government Of laws
I and not 81 men" Doesn't the Progress
/ sivc party endorse the same principle
\ The Republican party in 1912. declared
. boz favor 81 going forward with the 500
j luton Of all new questions which So
. claL economic and political develop
b meuf have brought into the forefront
I ~ the Nations Interest. Does the Pro-
/ gressiNe party uccupN more advanced
T position than thisT
, The Republican party has declared
] that ~ VIII strive not only in the ma
7 ton. but Boo the several states. Co enact
/ the necessary legislation 90 safeguard
I the public health. Co limit effectively
. the labor Of women and children 90 proc
] fsct wuEe-carrcre engaged Boo dauEeIouH
I orcuHatl0ne. 90 enact comprehensive
. and generous wnrtmeu's compen ~ iou
q laws and iu 11 possible WAYS 10 satisfy
I che just demands 90 tho people for the
7 study and Holutnu of the complex and
/ rouatarff changing problems ~ social
] welfare Docs the Progressive party
. heraINf' tHN lf DO eu iu Good faithf
/ Tho nenIbiican rarty BE- opposed o.
It uIUuuUnIf HUN HHe enacted stringent
. law against Do and has enforced these
i irwa ft favor. civil Service reform
I ~ wac 900. originator ~ our ronaerva-
/ tive rHIlrf. Does the Progressive party
oppose ans ~ these policies or urinCl-
rleaf rerfriulr not The principles of
/ tho fu.n PARTIES are tho nIrua THlr