Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1914-01-09
Dealing in Political Futures.

With a Senatorial election in the
offing, some of the political editors
and leaders in the state of Washing
ton are showing keen concern in the
plans for recognizing and rejuvenat-
ing the Republican party and most Of
them are trying to convince them
selves that the prospects for mer-
ger of Republicans and PrOgressives
are actually good, says the Tacoma
Tribune. Editor Rupp of the Aber-
deem World, who is chairman of the
Republican State Central Committee.
and Editor Bone of the Seattle Post
Intelligencer, are in agreement on
the proposition that the Progressives
are Republicans at heart and that the
obvious and sensible hing for them
to do is to join forces.
Colonel Robertson, editor of the
Yakima Republican and one of the
real leaders of the Republican forces,
insists that the Republican party has
sheen operating largely without pur-
pose and that is one reason why we
are on the rocks" Colonel Robert
son declares that 1.-The party is with
out leadership. The old leaders are
gone. They lived their day and serv-
ed their time. Many of them are
discredited None will ever come
back. The problem now is to find
men to take their places" and he then
goes on to show why Mr. Taft, La
Toilette, Hadley, Borah and Cum
Minis do not measure up to the re-
uuirements of the times. He declares
that for Is years the Republican par
ty has not tried to do the things that
ought to have been done. He con-
cludes:
The Republican party lacks
leadership and it lacks definite
purposes, and it won't come back
until it gets them. The imme-
date prospects for a return to
power are not encouraging, but we
do not need to feel unhappy. Ad-
yersity will make better men of
us. History shows that the tir1e
and the man may always be de-
pended on to appear Simultaneous
ly, and the Democratic record is
that that party never fails to fur
nish it's opponents with com
mendable purposes. Well be at
home when opportunity knocks
again
We believe that Colonel Robertson
has all the best of the argument up
to date. Senator Cummns, in adj
dress at Des Moines the other day
declared that the recent action of
the Republican National committee
was "a fair fulfillment of the demand
for reorganization" and predicted the
speedy return of the party to power
The thousands upon thousands Of
former Republicans who went into
the Progressive party last year are
refusing to agree with Senator Cum
minis. They are convinced that they
who control the party in the nation
are determined to keep it reactionary
however progressive the Republicans
in the State of Washington may de-
sire to be. Fifty years ago the Re-
publican party was progressive, in
surgent It's lusty youth was on fire
for human rights, for popular rights,
for the man above the dollar, for max
ing politics the instrument of social
and industrial freedom, not the bull
wark of conservative obstruction to
the reform spirit of the hour. as the
Republican party is today. The early
Republicans were called Black Radi-
Gals. The attempt to make the Re-
publican party distinctively repro
sentative of conservatism did not be-
gin until a few years ago and, imme-
diately it became apparent that the
plan was afoot, a revolt arose with
in the party that led to its wrecking.
1t suffered it's greatest defeat in 1912,
when the reactionary leaders had
their way and there is little prospect
of it regaining its prestige until there
is evidence that it is back on the
main road of Repubicanism and fired
again and anew with the spirit that
represents the older and more genu-
inc traditions of the party.
The question that is to be answer
ed is whether the party can adapt
itself to the new and changed con
ditions and respond to the new spirit
that is now abroad in the land. The
people are more interested in the fl-
ture than in the past The times and
conditions call for what Presidcn. !
Wilson terms demonstrating men