The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-11-16
Russo Il OPPOSES UNION
AS MEANING SURRENDER

Firmly opposing the suggestion of
Republican leaders that the Progress
sive and Republican parties merge,
Ebert Russell of this city, Progressive
candidate for representative in con-
gress this fall. today declared that
such merger would be an uncondi-
tional surrender of all the principles
the Progressives had stood for.
He said If these principles were ever
to be incorporated into our govern
ment the Progressive party must be
maintained.
1T is too early to predict what the
future of the Progressive party will
be-" Prof. Russell said. II can only
say what / believe the members of
the Progressive party ought to do. l
believe We ought to maintain our Or
ganization and go right on with a
campaign of education, at least until
some more effective means of getting
our principles embodied in our gov
eminent presents itself.
Opposes Amalgamation.
"The suggestion that Progressives
should now join or rejoin the Republi-
can party" he continued, comes al
most altogether from the Republicans,
as far as l know. I can think of but
two considerations that might lead us
to join the Republican party at this
time. We might want to get back to
it II we were merely after office and
had despaired of getting in power as
Progressives. AS far as I known them
the Progressive leaders are not men
who are ready to repudiate their pro-
fessed principles in order to get elect
ed to office. But suppose we were
only lot Of office seekers, what in
ducements are the Republicans likely
to offer US? Will they nominate Bev-
eridge for the senate against Watson?
Would any Of our splendid young men
like Kitselman or Judge Wilson or
Bernard Shiveley stand any show Of
office? If were an office seeker would
Our jim Watson at some future Cam
bridge City district convention let me
run for congress to keep him COM
pany when he gets in the senate?
"Since we are not swayed by hope
Of office we might join the Republl-
can party If the causes of the split in
1912 had been wholly and permanent
ly removed and that party had become
the champion of Progressive princi-
pies What are the facts?
1.-The old gang that throttled the pop
ular will, that perpetuated the Payne
Aldrich steal, that serves the big in
terests and hates our program OF So
cial and industrial justice is still in the
saddle. Cannon. Penrose, Branegee,
Payne, Mckinley and our own Will
Wood are back in congress. Watson
is grooming himself for the senate.
AS for the Progressive principles,
which were the real cause for the
split in 1912, the present leaders OF
the Republican party have never even
pretended to favor the most vital of
them. The state Republican platform
this year did not favor tariff COM
mission but P. J. Lynch publicly re-
pudiated it in his campaign for con-
gress. The initiative, referendum and
recall are anathema to the very Re-
publican leaders who are inviting us to
come back, because, as they assert,
Practically every Progressive meas
ure' is now indorsed by the Republi-
cans.
G. O. p. Protects Interests.
THE constitutional convention that
would have given us a chance to en-
large the direct power of the people
was ignored by the Republican press
and speakers. The opposition to it
was led by the Republican editor OF
the Washington Und.) Herald, who
was one of the men who drafted the
Republican state platform. The Re-
publican leaders are more concerned
that measures for social and indus
trial justice should be made safe for
the big interests than than the public
welfare should be properly conserved.
ITO join the Republican party in
the face of all this would be to confess
that to us failure to get elected is
the only failure we fear, and repudiate
our own professed principles.
Prof Russell was reminded that
some Republican leaders were inviting
Progressives to return to the old party
for the purpose OF cooperating in the
work of getting rid Of the old Repub-
lican bosses and to use the party for
the purpose of putting through Pro-
gressive legislative program.