The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1914-09-12
WHAT ARE POLITICAL PARTIES
FORf

FOR1
1t seems we did not make ourselves
plain to The Progressive Herald of
Kalamazoo when we challenged Its
argument that Mr.. Osborn does not
belong TO the republican party; he be-
longs to the progressive party. That
argument was tased on the Tact that
Mr. Osborn had championed the recall
of judges and judicial decisions. We
suggested that this argument was not
sound since it had become the fashion
in Michigan for candidates for the
nomination of governor TO make their
own platforms in the primary cam
paign, and for the winner TO impose
his personal platform on the party on
the ground that he represents the
strongest faction in the party, and
that the state convention ought to
accept the policies of himself and his
followers. The Progressive Herald
sees the point clearly eaough to insist
that IF Mr.. Osborn is an orthodox
republican. Mr. GroesbecK is not,
and that "it Mr. Groesbeck is an
orthodox republican, then Nj Osborn
does not belong in the republican
party Part Of the Herald's trouble
is due TO It's assumption that an ortho-
dox republican can be classified accord.
ing 60 his faith in certain political
doctrines whereas it has come 20 pass
hat an orthodox republican is simply
man who believes in anything that
he can get away with, or who can get
way with anything he believes in, as
the case may be-.
Mr. Osborn himself offers ample
proof of this contention. One week
he defined himself as republican,
socialist, declaring that the "republ-
can party, or some party, must sooner
or later accept every socialist princi-
pie, il it is TO continue in power -
And the next week the republicans of
Michigan nominated him as theiI can
didate for governor Likewise, the
republicans of Michigan i'm state con
vention assembled must solemnly en-
dorse the recall of judges and judicial
decisions, which they have hitherto
always opposed, and also sanction the
doctrines of republican-socialism,
whatever that may be, or else formu
late a platform which their candidate
will not run on, but at, against, or
away with.
Mr.. Groesbeck, too. offers corrobora-
tive proof of our contention that any
man who can get nomination for gov
ernor is an orthodox member of his
party, no matter what he believes,
thinks says, or sings for Mr.. Groes.
beck, though denounoing republican
socialism before the republican pri-
announced his support of the
as soon as a republican
socialist was nominated.
The Herald gets nearer TO an under
standing Of our viewpoint when it
says
The fact is. old party lines are all
shot to pieces, and the people intend
to be guided by candidates record,
fitness reputation and character,
rather than party label. The label
can almost mean anything the man
stands for something and the people |
Will hold him responsible.
As between the candidates OF the
different parties, this is true. II re-
veals wholesome independence in
voting, A strong man is a blessing 10
any party and 10 his state But, as
the candidate Of party, should the
man not express 10 some extent the
collective opinion and will of the
party II so, how can this expression
be achieved under our present system
of party regulation2 II not what Is q
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