Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-03-17
WORTH or NEW PARTY
Continued from Page One)


candidate had been the person of their
choice. They did vote largely for the
party candidates for all other Offices, and
elected only a handful of Progressives,
even In those states which they carried
for President, The Progressive vote in
State and local elections has generally
gradually dwindled since then. All of
these things show that there was among
the masses neither reason for nor inten-
ton of breaking away from the Repub-
lican party, nor permanently dividing the
opposition to the Democratic party.
Candidates in Field.
1.-THE leaders insist upon putting
straight third party candidates in the
field in all cases except where a personal
friend is involved, or where some Local
issue is at stake which appeals to them
as of too great Importance TO hazard the
result. They reserve the right to say
when and under what conditions any is
sue is of such importance. The acknowl-
edge the principle that I appeal for, but
they leave it to none but themselves to
determine the Importance of the contin-
gency. They speak. as though divincely
do the voting, and announce in advance
what they shall do. They speak in ad-
vance to primaries, and caucuses and
elections. They tolerate in no man or
body of men any voice in what he or they
are concerned They. acknowledge the
principle and arrogate to themselves its
application. II man agrees with them
in his views of individuals. he is on the
road to Damascus. If he disagrees, no
matter what his views on concrete mat
tiers of government, he is held up to rid
icule and abuse.
II have said that the disruption in the
Republican party two years ago was due
to differences as to the two candidates
for the principle office and not as to par
ty doctrines. This is shown by the fact
that those who went out would have re-
NAMED in with different candidate for
the same office It is shown by the fact
that a vast majority of them in states
where there were three tickets for all of
the offices voted for at the November
election voted the Republican ticket for
all national Offices except the Presidency.
II this is true, and 1t is, there is certainly
little reason why those who unite in the
endorsement of such doctrines should fail
to united in their support when the issue
on which they split is not involved in
the election. And there no such issue in
the coming campaign.
1T is a poor answer that the Republi-
cans may nominate candidates unsatisfac-
tory to those who believe in Republican
principles Candidates can be selected
only through the direct primaries in
which all persons who embrace the doc
trines of the party may participate. The
primary election is one of the hobbies of
the most progressive wing of the party.
1t has every safeguard OF a regular cleo
ton. 1t goes beyond that even and fur
nishes practically the complete Austria
liam ballot, where every candidate must
stand absolutely by himself. on his own
merits He who wins must receive
the largest number of votes cast,
Obviously the successful candidate
must be the choice of the popular
will if the citizens can be trusted to
exercise their rights and to exercise
them wisely. And distrust of such a
method, or refusal to abide by it's re-
suits, comes with i'll grace from those
who insist upon recognizing the will
of the people, who demand direct leg
islation instead of that by representa-
tive government, and ask for the re-
call. 1t ought at least to be as re-
liable an index of the popular judg-
ment as the conclusion of individual
leaders who demand the right of the
people to rule and then arrogate to
themselves the right to say whether
the verdict of the voters so taken
ought to stand. And if that is true
there is no reason why those who be-
lieve in certain principles of govern
ment cannot more profitably unite in
determining who shall carry those
principles into effect than go into two
rival camps to select opposing candi-
dates to slay each other, while their
common opponents prevail on doctrines
in which neither of US believe.