Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-07-21
PROGRESSIVE FALLACIES

DR.. DorrInuS Scuddcr'S appeal fer Snpp"I
for the Progressive party. published this morn
ing, is loft, in tone and kindly IN expression
but it has Il fundamental fault that Of tIra
ing his personal opinions as If they wrr" PM
licly-rrcugnilcd facts. To reason from opinion
10 conclusions is not always convincing, 1t
not convincing in this case
Here are three examples taken at haphazarr
from his letter:
at seems foregone conclusion that Messrs.
Kuho and NJ Candles will be the nominees OF the
Republicans and Democrats"
He (Mr. Carter certainly would have more in
huenee with his Democratic colleagues and with
the administration. lnasmuch as the Progress
siVes have the Republicans the hip. he would
occupy even with the latter envabe position"
Certainly Honolulu has been better governed
under the present Democratic board supervisors
than under its Republican predecessors"
Every politician who is following the preSen
situation closely knowS-and the Kuhio meI
frankly admit--that it is far from >.foregon
conclusion" that Kuhio will be the Republican
nominee. In fact, the outstanding danger o
Kuhio's nomination arises from the fact tina
the Progressyes are putting up their candidate
Again, just what does Or. Scudder mean il
saying ''thp Progressiyes have the Republican,
ON the hip? Where are the facts, locally OF
nationally, to hack this statement?
Further, il may be Dr. Scudders opinion
that Honolulu has been better governed under
the present Democratic board of supervisors
than under its Republican predecessors, but it is
hard to believe that such is public opinion
Else why this unmistakable movement to oust
the present board? Does the record of the last
wear and half in road and streetswork justify
the divine in his opinion? Does the record OF
deaths due to failure to stop the auto speed
fiends justify his opinion? Does the ineessant
factional fighting ON the board justify his opn
ion9 Do the facts and figures of II. Gooding
Field, as recently given to the Ad Club, justify
his opinion?
ii is worth while to examine DR.. Scudder's
views because they seem typical of the views Of
the Progressires in Hawaii George r. Carter
A. L. G. Atkinson and their supporters oir
wholesale condemnation of the old order with
Wholesale remedies in a new. Upon broad gen
eral statements of personal opinion, strikingly
like those quoted above, they base their conclu
sions. They have made no Justification fol-
their existence locally they have entirely failed
To point out specifically the need for ticket in
Hawaii. So far the Progressive movement here
has been fostered by the energy and ambition
Of Mr.. Garter and Mr.. Atkinson, supplemented
hv the undoubtedly sincere but somewhat vague
support accorded the national Progressive Is
sues by some other enthusiastic citizens.
The Progressive movement on the mainland
GAINED strength not SO much because of its pro
posals for "human rights legislation as be
eause of its call to battle against the bossisnl
tvpified in the influence of Barnes, Penrose anG
others. Mr.. Thurston's recent characterization
If the Progressive program as enc of "Smash
IS correct, ;ccause it was the ''smash part OF
the program that carried the weight.
In Hawaii the Progressiyes have entirely
failed TO show who and what within the Repub
lican party needs to be smashed, and their plat.
form is plainly not platform that in itself de.
mands a third-party movement
In backing this third-party movement, the
Progressives are playing into the hands of the
Democrats. If the voters are well-advised, they
will decline To take the vague and general state
ments of the Progressiyes; they will look to the
marty that aims at harmony, not division, in
Hawaii-harmony and combined energy tc
fght against the industrial disaster that fol.
lows on the heels of Democracy and Democra.
cy's slash at the sugar tariff.