Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1914-12-03
From all parts of the country come
reports of rising tide of unexampled
prosperity.
THE TWO PARTY HABIT.

With the election figures all in, it
appears that the Progressive party, not
withstanding its slump, cast total OF
a million and half of votes. With the
exception of T. RS vote in 1912, that
is the largest third party vote cast in
our time. Ordinarily it would be
enough to swing the balance of power
It is rather interesting, therefore, to
learn that some of the Progressive par
ty leaders who say they have left the
G. O. P. forever are now reported as
willing to fall in behind Wilson two
years hence with a view to consolidate
ing the countrys progressive strength.
American political habit runs to two
major parties, the one checking the
other Evidently this habit is not yet
overcome. Though party ties never
were looser; though the percentage of
fluid voting is increasing steadily, we
seem not yet to have come to the time
of numerous small parties ruling by
combinations, as in Europe.
That being SO, the consolidation of
progressive strength is indicated as
necessity if reaction is to be avoided.
We may safely assume that national
ly the Republican party two years
hence will be the chief haven Of the
standpatters.
1t, therefore. behooves forward look
ing citizens to figure on focking to-
gether.- Wisconsin State Journal.
In the above very significant article
Editor Richard Lloyd Jones faces, in
his usual manly way, the memorable
trend of political conditions. Under
the leadership of President Wilson the
Democratic party has come into its own.
1t is to be true to it's traditions as the
champion of the democratic free school,
OF presumption and homestead rights, of
manhood suffrage, and of human rights
as superior to property rights.
Under the irresistible force of the two
party habit the Republican party is
bound to become the party of opposi
ton in fact as we'll as in name. In the
next presidential campaign it will be
lined up for Tory reaction under some
such overload as Boise Penrose.
Therefore, as Mr.. Jones we'll and
bravely says, sit behooves forward
looking citizens to figure on focking
together" And if they are to put up
an effectual fight for good government
they must get together and stand to-
gether in the matter of nominations as
we'll as at the election. The matter of
nominating is all important. In their
struggle for self government the colo
MES had long been accorded the right
to elect before they won the right to
nominate. O that all the forward
looking men in Wisconsin who must
ultimately fall in together behind the
standard of progressive Democracy had
been in the party ranks last fall
Their plain duty is to do team work in
the presidential primaries, which are
only little more than year ahead,
and in the other primaries later.
East, west, north, and south, the
trend of political conditions are the
same: one party is standing for more
democracy and the other for less de-
mocracy. The New York World says:
The place for the Progressives who
are really progressives is in the Demo
cratic Party alongside of Woodrow
Wilson. Even when they do not agree
with him about certain policies, they at
least know that he is going in the direc-
ton in which they profess to be going.
The other Progressives have already
returned to reactionary Republican
Party under the spiritual leadership of
Uncle Joe Cannon, Penrose and Barnes.