Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-07-18
WHERE THE PROGRESSIVE PLAEKs CONE FROM

The thanks of Professor Ballou of the Pro
gressve party to the members of the platform
convention of the Republican party ''for their
official endorsement of progressive principles
as shown by their adoption Of certain planks
of the Progressive platform, is rather amusing
An ANALYSIS of several of the Dlanks to which
Mr. Ballou makes reference, and a comparison
of them with the well-established principles Of
the Republican party will demonstrate that if
a charge Of larceny can he maintained, the Bull
Moosers and not the Republicans will be the
defendants
Ex-President Taft has for many years been an
ardent advocate of judicial reform, and the Re-
publican plank in the territorial platform is an
expression of his ideas on the subject He adj
yocated these ideas and was backed by the Re
publican party in them before the Bull Moosers
were known. -. .-.es.sr-~ =. -
The eighthour law to WHICH Mr.. Ballou
makes reference has been. a Republican doctrine
for many years. As matter of fact the eight
hour law has been placed in operation in a
large number of the states in which the Repub-
lean party control, and has been enacted by
Republican votes. Again is the boot on the
other foot. .." Fl.
Suffrage for women was a Republican doc
trine in the western states long enough before
Roosevelt conceived the idea of organizing the
third party. The Progressives of this territory
simply followed in the wake of the Republi-
cans on this subject. The Republican platform
of two years ago had in it this plank.
The rural credit idea by no means was of Pro-
gressive birth Republicans and Democrats
alike have favored it for years and it is gradual
ly coming into operation. This is simply an
other case of the adoption by the new party of
the ideas of the old ones
Laws relative to the protection of women and
children have for years been in force in northern
and western states, and were distinctly of Re-
publican origin The Teddyites can claim no
credit for any real progressiyeness along this
line
The workmens compensation plank i'm the
Republican platform is more or less a reitera-
ton of the principles laid down by Ex-Presi-
dent Taft in message to congress transmitted
on February 20, 1872 The workmen's compen-
sation act now pending in congress, and which
was framed as the effort Of commission com
posed of congressman and labor leaders, would
have been the law in so far as interstate cor
porations are concerned long before this had il
not been for the opposition of some Democratic
statesmen, and particularly Hoke Smith of
Georgia. An ardent supporter of the bill was
Senator Sutherland of Utah, who will never be
classed as Rooseyeltian. The Republican par
ty of Hawaii two years ago had in its platform a
plank relative to the subject, and made strong
efforts to pass the bill
Other planks to which Mr.. Ballou makes
reference concern a new charter for Honolulu
artesian water control, the liquor control, and
public accounting. All of these are, of course
of purely localfnterest, and do not involve any
particular political principles. In all proba
bility the Democratic party will have planks
along the same line 1t is difficult to see why
their adoption by the Republican party can be
used as an argument to show that that party
has Outlived its usefulness. Indeed. as to one
of these planks, namely that of liquor control
the Progressives of the territory simply fol-
lowed in the footsteps of the Republican party
of the territory two years ago.
The third party will have to trot out more
powerful arguments than Professor Balou dis
plays in his first effusion.
Contributed