The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1914-07-16
NEWS FROM THE
NATIONAL CAPITOL
West Revolts Against Administra-
tion

West RevoIts Against Administra-
tion
Washington, d. c., July 14.-Judg-
ing py what one hears on the street,
in the hotels, on trains, and other
places where men assemble the ma
jority of tho people in the middle we'd
will welcome the opportunity to
change the administration in Wash
ington. Perhaps more than any
other part of the country, the cen
trail West has suffered by the policies
Of the administration. Reduction of
the tariff has not lowered the cost
of living in any respect, as a glance
at the current prices OF food COM
modities will show. On the other
hand, many factories have curtailed
their forces and reduced the working
time, SO that the great army of idle
men has been increased and the pur-
chasing power Of those who have
employment has been reduced.
Feeling Of Apprehension
Notwithstanding the fact that crop
prospects are the greatest for many
years, record breaking, in some in
stances, there is feeling of appre-
hension apparent everywhere in tho
West. There is no buoyancy or op-
timism, except that voiced by GER
tain politicians. The general course
seems to be that of moving eau
tiously, and to hedge against posi-
biiities. While no one will say it
for publication, many persons who are
in position to know expect hard times
after the brief boom caused by mar
ket1ng the harvests is over. It is
known that many enterprises have
been hanging on by almost an eye
lash, hoping that the prosperity fol-
lowing the cashing in of the grain
harvests would tide them over. In
many cases it may do so; in many
other cases the relief will not be SUI
ficient.
Republican-Progressive} Compromises
In some Western States deals are
on between Republicans and Progress
sives whereby they can combine upon
some candidate who is neither too
stand pat nor bull moosey Mutual
concessions have been made in Ne.
braska and Iowa along these lines.
In some of the middle Western
States the Progressive party has
dwindled remarkably since the last
presidential election. This is particu-
larly true in North Dakota, where
the party failed to nominate a state
ticket, because thcy could not mus
ter enough votes to qualify for g
place on the ballot under the law.
Michigan also affords an example
of the practical collapse of the moose
ticket. In the presidential election
the Progressives cast something more
than $4,000 votes, but unbiased es-
Inmates now are that the vote prob
ably would not exceed 36,00O The
Michigan Republicans, it is said, are
certain to elect all but one of the
representatives. with fighting chance
fer the doubtful district. They also
expect to elect the entire State ticket
Turn to Republican Ticket
Perhaps the clearest indication of
what may happen in the next M.
tional election is given by the re-
cent primaries at Gary and Indiana
Harbor, Ind, great industrial cen
tiers. The Progressives carried both
these steel towns in the last elec-
ton. Since then, for various rea-
sons, work has been "spotty' and
scarce. The steel companies and
allied Industries have been unable to
secure enough orders to keep the
mills and manufactures busy, and
thousands of men were laid off. These
cities may be taken as typical in
dustrial centers. In the recent pri-
maries the Republicans received 80
per cent of the vote in Gary, tho
Democrats z per cent, and the Pro-
gress1ves 8 per cent. In Indiana
Harbor the Republicans received 90
per cent Of the vote, the Democrats
6, and the Progressives per cent.
The people Of these two cities blame
the Democratic administration for
their condition. They say their only
hope for prosperity lies in the Re
publican party and its policies. They
tried. and they have enough of ex-
perimcnts for the present. Hundreds
of these men have been paying for