Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-09-07
The Penrose Platform.

'TC Cur SSS a. ~ ~.
That part of the PenroSe ofgani2a- :
committee. after DELAY of four
months. met in Pittsburgh last
Wednesday and ratified the entire
Penrose program.
Theoretically. party platform IS
put forth as contract With the peo-
pie. But the liveliest Imagination
could not confer that function upon
the Penrose declaration. In essence
and meaning it is contract between
Penrose and the liquor forces and
other special interests.
Postponement of the platform until
this late day. device unprecedented
and in palpable evasion of the law,
had an obvious purpose.
The democratic and Washington
progressive parties met at the time
legally designated. and ISSUED plat
forms which We're clear cut in terms
and unequivocal in meaning There
was moreover, a noteworthy sympathy
in their declarations against Penrose-
ism. against the criminal Uisrule Of
the Penrose organization and in sup
port of local option and the principles
of social and industrial justice
With these strong party utterances
on record. the Penrose machine was
in an excellent tactical position to de-
wise a program thai would be an effee-
tive revenue producer. The forthcom-
ing republican platform could be held
as threat over al those interests
from which campaign contributions
could be extorted.
The first move was Penrose's an
nouncement that the drafting of the
platform mad been intrusted to former
Lieutenant Governor Walter LYON of
Pittsburgh. Lyon is corporation at
torney: but his chief recommendation
lay in the fact that he had had eNper-
fence in framing platforms calculated
to persuade reluctant corporations TO
come across 1t was he. IL memory
does not Inisle2d US. who laid down
the principles of Penrose republican,
ism in the year that that statesman
got his s25. 900 certificate of deposit
from the oil trust.
II the present platform has not
shown rich Weld .. this kind, graft
tude and s;en.-rotis recognition of loyal
" must he extiiHt among the hackers
of Penroseisnr.iA After the studied de-
| lay. the defeat-S Of the local option
plank. by vote in the state commit
tee of SO to ). lierebyzcommitting the
republican party definitely to the liquor
interests. was suggestive of an expens-
i've but Satisfactory arrar cement.
quite as significant was the turning
over Of the Ilanks concerning woman
/! and child labor and the welfare of
workers generally to The tender mercies
/ of Grundy, who wi.inss profits from the
! toll Of women and children. and for
nearly a score OF years has been the
/ most inveterate foe of legislation to
I improve their condition: who at the
! last legislature robbed the Womens
/ bill of its best features, and so loaded
/ the child labor bill WITH vicious amend
! rnents that it's sponsors were compelled
| to defeat it.
The sinister meaning of Grundy E
/ part in making the platform becomes
clear when it is remembered that he
| heads the Pennsylvania Protective I'm
| ion fat-frying organiza ton. which
! is levying upon the manufacturing in
terests for Penrose funds.
| There is something wickedly appro-
! pirate in the Penrose alliance with the
rum and Grundy interests. since both
| of these forces traffic. IN the lives and
| happiness Of women and Children
| North American.