The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-08-01
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Shows, He Was a. Progressive
Two Years before Roosevelt
Named; Third Party.
CIV ROSS, NJ. Fisher. ,

y
giss5 ---..-.- .
(By sRossit NJ. Fishery
gWILSONBURG, Aug. III have
been called, q reactionary in spite OF
the fact that Il am the only known
Progressive in the county with asrec-
ord. believe 1. can safely make
this claim ins spite Of the cramped
definition given to the word progress
i've by my critics.
Since the statement is of vast
importance let as be specific. On
June ~ 1910, ]. used the word pro-
gressive as noun on a card printed
In this county. That was two years
before Colonel Roosevelt adopted the
name for the new party. On the
same card that WAS given to the
voters i used the words human
rights" which is the subject of the
Progressive creed that was read by
Mr.. Law at the recent Progressive
convention.
\ Ishave stood at Armegedden for
thirty years, but missed the pay day
lat Charleston.
! was a commissioned officer in a
battery, and on my way to Cuba
when Colonel Roosevelt settled the
question In the battle Of San Juan
hill. At the time the Columbian
Congress turned down its own treaty
with our government, / wrote an arti-
Gle that was published even on the
western coast. This, article. was
headed The End Justifies the
Means" and because Colonel Roose-
welt seemingly must have read the
article. the New York World thinks
there was something shady about the
acquisition of the canal zone.
There is nothing shady about
Roosevelt. On May 1, 1910, I wrote
q platform and offered my candidacy
for the legislature. The platform
contained every important declara-
ton OF Colonel Roosevelt's platform
that was written three months after
mine was published: The exception
was the recall and its application
to the judicial Departmental the gov
eminent. OF course If the people Of
this federal district could make use
Eof this instrument of government
today the Congress would be relieved
OF "a very embarrassing situation, but
u suspect It is more denNyaticr and
1 would be erican not to give our
Judge a trial. That platform declar-
led for insurance against Illness and
accidents" which Is now the law. It
declared for the modified referendum
land initiative that is now! found IN
the Democratic platform. 1t declar.
led for the betterment Of the Social
and industrial condition OF labor II
this was progressive where were our
Progressives then? Why 1t cost Mr..
Edward Law $25l to- beat me on the
last day of registration by putting
another candidate in the field, but OF
course this was only an accident (?)
to save the organization candidate.
No voter received q dollar for his
vote and no paid representative at
}any precinct In the county. Was that
progressive? Imade the first speech
for Roosevelt In the county, wrote
the editorial matter for the Roose:
welt paper, and made a contribution
to the state committee.
Now, how could be stand
patter," as have been called?
Political parties can never be en-
tirely just. but we ought to reduce In
ljustice to the minimum. We must al
ways have graft, but we ought to
have that system of government that
lreduces graft to a rninimum. The
day Of a reformer is not strewns with
roses, but 1t pays in the end.
The following lis taken from the
Morgan Messenger "R. M. Fisher
wrote the first article on tax reform
that ever appeared In a state paper
This IS not true, but I was one Of
the first IN the Legislature to speak
for the Joint resolution creating a
tax commission. and I have lived to
lsee tho system. public accounting and
equity in our tax laws irrevocatbly
fixed. as our Democratic friends left
,Iit out Of their platform two years
lago.
Was that progressive?
Il am not objecting to the criticism
of my Progressive friends as / was
probably the first member Of their
state committee to oppose a third
party. / have done my best to save
the Republican party as factor in
Legislation In this state because as 1
looked ct 1t, the Progressive platform
was also the Republican platform.
Criticism is a, debt that men Always
pay for doing what they to be right.
The fellow who would not sacrifice
to be right, never knows when he is
wrong.
! NEIN NI(1KEIe