The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-11-16
Some Political Estimates.
On. h...

Secretary Bryans estimate of the re-
in tone as the comments and claims of
the administrations opponents Where
they have seen a Wholesale reputation
of President Wilson and his policies, he
sees nothing but popular Endorsement
and vindica ton. 1t all recalls the days
when Republicans and Democrats were
SO nearly equal in strength, year in and
year out, that their post-election quar-
rels over the Interpretation OF election
figures rivaled in intensity their actual
campaign warfare. Now, as always, the
truth may be found somewhere between
the partisan extremes.
How far the administration leaders de-
pended upon the Progressives to insure
the continued control of the government
by the Democrats is incidentally betray
ed by Mr.. Bryan in his confession that
"more Progressives returned to the Re
publican party than we expected" That
alone, in his view, accounted for most
of the Republican gains in the House of
Representatives" But Mr. Bryan hopes
that if the Progressives are to abandon
their own organization, they will join
the Democratic party in no small num-
bers. For the Democratic party, he says
in concluding his statement, deserves
the support of all real progressives and
in the next two years it will draw TO
itself those progressives who understand
the radical nature of the issues which
separate the Democrat from the aristo-
crat and the plutocrat"
Possibly, a great many people are in
error in concluding that the Progressive
party is irretrievably smashed It's phe-
nomenal success in 1912, when its first
presidential candidate polled more votes
than the candidate of the Republicans,
fixed in the popular mind, standard
which no other party has had to encoun
ter. The Republicans themselves began
their party career in feeble way. The
Progressives began with such stunning
achievements as to blast the members of |
the ordinary development of great par
ties from small beginnings. And the !
Progressives now pay costly price, per
haps, for their original achievement. Be |
cause they have fallen so far short of |
their tremendous performance of two
years ago, they are judged to be al
ready in their death agonies.
When the national executive commit
tee of the Progressive party meets in
Chicago next month. they will surely
find more comfort in the election re-
turns than has been found for them by
the Progressive party's foes. The com
mittee will see particularly Gov. John
sons 100000 votes in California, Mr..
Pinchot's 100000 to 100000 votes in
and Mr.. Robins 10000
vote in Pennsylvania and Mr.. Robins
100000 votes in Illinois. Those three
states combined cast heavy vote in the
electoral college. In the west generally
the Progressives did much better than in
the east, and that fact viii encourage
the Progressive party's leaders TO keep
mp the organization. The adherents of
the party will be reminded that their
rause must encounter occasional re-
Bluffs and that, after ALL its showing
this year should be regarded as the in
vitable but not fatal reaction to the I'M
precedented run which Mr.. Roosevelt ,
made for president two years since.
Ii II is a matter OF cold political iudg. !
uent, there is not much of a prospect /
hat the new party will long survive 2
'ut il is also a cold political Judgment !
hat the Progressive party will live long =
nough TO be something of factor IN I
he next presidential election. II has 7
zen shaken down roughly 70 is real &
trength as a reform political movement, 2
minus the popular enthusiasm for the I
are personality Of a single leader, and G
ossibly this shaking down has come D
cry much TO the party's advantage, If il
Is 20 live and play an important part 4
n American politics.-Springfe Repub- n
can n