The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1914-12-05

49, SS6SSiGe organization Anu sS*1=
paign of education should be contin-
ued on the lines heretofore followed.
To that end the committee provided
that the Progressive national com.
mittee shall be called to meet not
later than Jan. Is, 1916, to Tx the
time and place for holding the ma
tional convention of the Progressive
party and to transact such othef
business as may at that time come
before it, incidental to the pfeslden-
tial election Of 1916.
aThe acknowledgements and the
consequent reaction against the Dem
ocratic tariff undoubtedly was the
issue which primarily determined the
reactionary results of the recent
election. Both the Republican AND
Democratic parties have passed tar
ifs by the old method of log roll
ljng. and the people have successive
ly repudiated them both.
$50 long as the tariff is. made in
politics and log rolling there can pc
no stability Of Industrial conditions
and business can have no peace.
The way to provide stable industrial
conditions and business peace is to
accept the principle Of protection as
a fixed national policy and to take
the tariff out of politics.
eve call attention to the necessi-
ty of prompt action on the MURDOCH
tariff commission bill, introduced In
May, 1913.
Progressive principles are perma-
nent, and it now is more than ever
evident that the Progressive party
today is the necessary organ for
their realization
Notwithstanding the seeming cock
sureness OF the declaration contain
ed in the closing paragraph of this
statement, and the denial Of pronl-
nent members of the conference thal
there was any suggestion or thought
of amalgamation of the Progressive
organization with either of the Old
er parties, there can be no success
full concealment of the fact that
very general belief exists among the
rank and file of the ProgrsslVes, in
Louisiana and other states as Welt
that present indications point strong
" either to a formal alliance be-
tween the Progressive and Repuol1-
can parties or virtual absorption
of the younger organization by its
older rival in the next national cam
paign.
This conviction is founded mainly
upon the heavy slump in the FRO
gressiye vote and the corresponding
increase of the Republican vote at
the state and congressional elections
held last month, but is strengthened
by the confident presumption that
the tariff will be a leading issue in
1916, and that there viii be at that
time ever less than the slight pres
eass .sssl1 difference between the views OF
the Republican and Progressive par
ties on that important question.
Furthermore, the reformation of
the basis of representation in fu-
ture Republican national conventions
is likely to remove what might have
been a great obstacle to the return
Of -ProgressiVes TO the
parental political fold. If the pres
ent basis had been in effect IN 1917
Col. Roosevelt would have been nom
mated on I1fSt Da1lot, anu tne
chances for at least an approx
mate recrudescence in 1916 of the
conditions that existed at Chicago
on the eve of the assembling of the
Republican national convention eigh-
teen months ago, are by no means
to be disregarded as impossible CT
remote.
If the Democratic party is wise it
will be shaping its course and put
ting its house in order for a battle
two years hence with the virtually
united hosts OF the Republican and
Progressive parties, standing upon a
platform which proelaims non-par-
tfsan and non-sectional protective
tariff system as one Of its principal
planks.