The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-01-23
Who Writes the State Chair.
man of the Progressive
Party Sound Letter.

Edl w 0ONttQ EGkGDAs
The following letter relating to
state politics has been sent to the
Istate chairman OF the Progressive
party by Harry III. Holmes editor OF
the elizabeth Messenger:
, January 81, 1914.
s4EIon. Joseph 4andlan,
Chairman State Progressive Com
wheeling, w. va.
'SDear Sir:
n beg to acknowledge the receipt
of your communication of the 18Th
inst, advising me OF the meeting OF
the Executive Committee of the
Progressive party, to be held in Par
kersburg during the last week OF the
present month, in which commun5ca-
/ ton you request me to furnish you
with a report OF conditions generally
In my county, and particularly as p
what has been done toward local Or
ganization, and to give my views as
to candidates for Congress from this
congressional district, etc.
s'In reply permit to say that es-
TEEN and appreciate your frank, open
letter, and will endeavor to be equal
! ~ frank and open in my answer.
sin the first place, conceive 1t my
duty to tender my resignation as q
Eof the Progressive party from WIFI
lccunty and ask that the same be &C
lcepted. feel compelled to take this
course because j am not in sympathy
with the Progressive party move
lment as q separate and permanent
party organization and never nave
been: nor do u believe that any con-
sid cradle number OF the voters IN
/ this county took part in the move
cd. (R0OaG-
welt in the last campaign are in SYM
pathy with such a course. For my
Epart. i am a Republican in principle
and always have been, From my
! knowledge and intimate acquaintance
with the followers and supporters
of Colonel Roosevelt, in this county,
lit is safe to say that at least ninety
per cent of them feel just as 40
i about it. When they voted for Col.
Roosevelt they did it not because
they had left the Republican party,
nor because they had permanently
lcast their lot with another party
but they did it to rebuke the meth
DDS employed in the Chicago conYen-
yention to nofinate Mr.. Taft. II was
Eonly means to an end for the &C
accomplishment of a purpose Tnal
purpose has ben accomplished; Lhs
lchast,sement has been administered
and now they are content to return
to the Republican party, the party
lof real and material progress, with
| SO many glorious achievements 70
Its credit during the last fifty years.
The voters who make up the So
called Progressive party as Wen as
those who followed the fortunes OF
IiCol Roosevelt in the last election.
are now and were then Republicans
in principle and believe in the funda-
mental doctrine of the Republican
party as firmly as they ever dio.
They have not changed their pol1t-
ical faith nor their political creed.
To do so would be to admit that
they have always been wrong u
would not only be such an ADMISSION
on the part of the masses VINO sup
ported Col. Roosevelt, and those VINO
still cling to the idea that they
should keep the organization OF the
Progressive party, but it seems 10
me that it would be an ADMISSION
that Col. Roosevelt and the other
leaders Of this organization have not
only been wrong heretofore IN t1ell
! advocacy of Republican principles,
but have acted IN good ta1th by ~
doing. 4o,
the nomination for president at the
hands of the Republican party, upon
4 platform declaring for Republican
inrinciples. That year, the voters OF
the country, by the largest majority
eyer. given IN national election, de-
cIared in favor of those principles OF
government set forth in the Repuo-
liican platform. AS president, during
1.-THE next four years, he exercised az
his great power, force and ability 70
carry out the pledges Of the tRepuDil-
lean marty as set forth in the RepuD-
llican platform, and 1t it is generaily
admitted that he succeeded admir-
ahiy. and the country prospered.
Four years later. it is generally con
coded that if Col. Roosevelt did not
actually write the platform upon
which Mr.. Taft was nominated anu am,
elected he completely dominated
those who did write it, as wen as me
national convention which auopteu
| it. Has the Republican party Of 70
day dropped from its articles OF 20
iitical faith anything of vital conse-
ouence since 1904 and 1908? II Tue
principles of the party were correct
! in 1904, and In 1908, they We're cor
rect in 912, and they are stlll cor
rect and vital in this year of grace.
1914. In all their essentials tnsy
are the same. 1t must be adm:bteu
Inv every one that the Republlcan
platform of 1912 was the most lioer-
al and progressive ever written by
;Republican National ConYentloll
since the party has had an existence.
and was not materially different from
the one adopted by the Progressive
marty. save that In the latter were
embraced some of the minor heresles