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

DIR. Doremus Scudder's appeal for support
for the Progressive parry, published this morn
ing, is lofty in tone and kindly in expression
but it has fundamental fault-that of treat
ing his personal opinions as if they were pub,
licly-recognized facts To reason from opinions
to conclusions is not always convincing. 1t is
not convincing in this case
Here are three examples taken at haphazarl
from his letter: .=@.>
1T seems foregone conclusion that Messrs.
Kuhio and Mccandless will be the nominees of the
Republicans and Democrats" +...
lie tMr. Carter certainly would have more in
huence with his Democratic colleagues and with
the administration. Inasmuch as the Progress
syes have the Republicans the hip he would
occupy even with the latter enviabe position
Certainly Honolulu has been better governed
under the present Democratic board of supervisors
tnan under Its Republican predecessors"
Every politician who is following the present
situation closely knows-and the Kuhio men
frankly adnit-that it is far from a "foregone
conclusion that Kuhio will be the Republican
nominee. In fact, the outstanding danger OF
kuhio's nomination arises from the fact that
the Progressiyes are putting up their candidate
Again, just what does Dr. Scudder mean in
saying "the Progressives have the Republicans
on the hip? Where are the facts, locally or
nationally, to back this statement?
Further, it may be Dr. Scudders opinion
that Honolulu has been better governed under
the present Democratic board of supervisors
than under its Republican professors, but it is
hard to believe that such is public opinion
Else why this unmistakable movement to Dust
the present heard? Does the record of the last
4
the divine in his opinion? Does the record of
deaths due to failure to stop. the auto speed
fiends justify his opinion? Does the incessant
fractional fighting On the board Justify his opin
ion? DO the facts and figures of H. Goodine
Field, as recently given to the AID Club, justify
his opinion?
1t is worth while to examine DR. Scudder's
views because they seem typical of the views OF
the Progressiyes in Hawaii George II. Carter
A. L. c. Atkinson and their supporters join
wholesale condemnation of the old order with
wholesale remedies in new. Upon broad gen
eral statements of personal opinion, strikingly
like those quoted above, they base their eonclu
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 sostered bysthe energy and ambition
Of Mr. Carter and Mr. Atkinson supplemented
BY 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 s'hnman rights" legislation as be
cause of its call to battle against the bossismI
typified in the influence of Barnes, Penrose and
others Mr. Thurston's recent Characterization
of the Progressive program as one of Smash
is correct ecause it was the "smash" part OF
the program that carried the weight
In Hawaii the Progressives have entirel!
failed to show who and what within the Repub |
lican party needs to be smashed and their plat. |
form is plainly not a platform that in itself de
mands a third-party movement.
In backing this third-party movement, the
Progressiycs 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 Progressives; they will look to the
party that aims at harmony, not division, in
Hawaii-harmony and combined energy to
fight against the industrial disaster that fol
lows on the heels of Democracy and Democra
cy's slash at the sugar tariff