Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1914-03-27
GOOD Citizens STAND
FORCOOI) GOVERNMENT
NOTABLE GET TOGETHER MEETING IN SEIOSHONE


/ lican party had been the progressive
party of our nation. II had written
more progressive legislation. state and
national than any other party since
the foundation Of the government. 1t
/ introduced the Australian ballot so
that the intimidation of the electorate
/ and election frauds are practically un-
( known II abolished conventions with
their abuses and substituted primar-
les. It destroyed the sinister influence
of the pass in politics and placed the
great railroads Of our country under
the gloved but iron hand Of the gov
ernment It reduced hours of labor; it
/ shielded women in their employment
and threw the protecting arm around
the children of toll Sometimes slow
ly yet steadily for half century it
met the problems of the hour, often
cropping in the dim twilight yet ever
moving toward the brighter and bet
ter day. The rank and file of the re-
publican party was always progress
i've and hut two short years ago every
one who is here tonight was proud of
her achievements and was equally
ambitious for her future usefulness.
I'm the short space of two years
/ tremendous changes have been
wrought and now we find ourselves
arrayed in hostile camps, while we
were industriously fighting each 9TH
er the common enemy has taken pos
session of the national government
and is reaching out its hand to seize
! the reinss of power in state and local
affairs.
ut may be that we are too close
| to these great events to discuss them
| calmly or impartially. The smoke Of
battle has hardly rolled away. The
aninosities engendered two years ago
have not yet become subject to our
sober and deliberate judgment. 1t will
be difficult to view these events in
their proper perspective until they are
farther removed from us by the flight
of time.
1.-TWO years ago two men were en-
gagged in a very bitter and rather un-
dignified struggle for the presidential
nomination. In view of the presi-
Dental primaries in many states the
bitterness of the struggle extended
down and into the rank and file of the
parties It would be improbable 10
! discuss the Chicago convention. That
has passed into history. The facts
have been thoroughly briefed and ar
gued and were submitted to jury
from whose Judgment there is no APP
peal. A little more than one half OF
what was the Republican party rem
dered their verdict against the con-
vention and a little less than half sup
ported it,
1T would be useless to discuss who
were right and who were wrong in
that controversy. 1t would be equally
useless to argue who were responsi-
BILE for the disruption of the once
great party. Those are matters upon
which all of us have fixed, and pos
sibly unalterably fixed opinions and no
amount of discussion here or else
where would be of any value. The
fact remains. The Republican party
was split in two and still remains di-
vided.
mo matter what views we may take
of the Chicago convention we cannot
fail to be impressed with the tremen>
dous results. 1t was a splendid COM
mentary on the independence and the
patriotism of the Republican voter in
1912. to see four million voters step
out of the ranks because of their de-
votion to a principle. Whether they
were right or wrong, whether they
acted wisely or unwisely is inmater-
ial. the great and significant fact is
that there were four million men who
had the courage and the conscience
to follow their convictions even
though it lead them out of the party
to which they had long borne ale
glance and to which they had long
been devoted. 1t argues well for the
perpetuity of our government. The
independent voter is the corner stone
of Republican institution.
"What the future has in store for
the Republican and Progressive par
ties time alone will tell. Whether
these two parties will ever get to-
sether and, if so, under what name
and by what means Is a question no
one can answer. We may reason, we
NAV speculate, we may prophesy, but
we cannot know. Personally l do not
expect to see any amalgamation OF
the organizations as such.
"South Dakota was one of the orig
inal progressive states and In l9l2 IL
was carried by Roosevelt 1 am IN
formed that the state primaries are
being held today in South Dakota but
there are no progressive candidates.
The Progressives are making their
fight within the ranks of the Repub-
lican party and with every prospect OF
success. Elsewhere the Progressive
organization is being strengthened
and what will be the result in this
campaign we shall soon know.
"There are several classes of Re-
publicans. There are some VINO are
Republicans because their fathers
were, Who have never voted any TICK
ct except the Republican ticket ana
who will vote for any candidate VINO
finds place upon his ballot. rms
kind of a Republican is but little bet
ter than q Democrat.