Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-07-18
WHERE THE PROGRESSIVE PLANKs COME FROM

The thanks Of Professor Ballou of the Pro
gressive party 10 the members of the platform
convention of the Republican party for their
official endorsement of progressive principles
as shown by their adoption of certain planks
of the Progressive platform, is rather amusing
An ANALYSIS of several Of the pankS to which
Mr.. BalIOu makes reference, and comparison
OF them with the well-establshed principles OF
the Republican party will demonstrate that il
a charge of larceny can be maintained, the Bull
AIoosers and not the Republicans will be the
defendants
ExPresident Taft has for many years been an
ardent advocate of judicial reform, and the Re
publican plank i'm the territorial platform is an
Expression Of his ideas on the subject. He ad
voeated these ideas and was backed by the Re
publican party in them before the Bull Moosers
were known -..-. III. IT,.
The eight.hour law to which Mr.. Ballou
makes reference has been Republican doctrine
for many wears As matter Of fact the eight
hour law has been placed in operation in a
large number Of the states in which the Repub
lean party control, and has been enacted by
Republican votes. Again is the boot on the
other foot.
Suffrage for women was a Republican doc
frine in the western states long enough before
Roosevelt conceived the idea of organizing the
third party The Progressives of this territory
simply followed in the wake of the Republic
cans on this subject The Republican platform
of two years ago had in it this plank
The rural credit idea by no means was of Pro
gressive birth Republicans and Democrats
alike have favored it for years and it is gradual
lyacoming into operation This is simply an
other case of the adoption by the new party OF
The ideas of the old ones.
Laws relative to the protection of women and
children have for years been in in northern and
Western states, and we're distinctly of Republi
can origin. The Teddyites can claim no credit
for any real preparedness along this line
The workmen's compensation plank i'm the
Republican platform is more or less reitera
ton of the principles laid down by ExPresi
dent Taft in a message to congress transmitted
on February 20, 1912 The workmen's compen
sation act now pending in congress- and which
was framed as the effort of commission com
posed of congressman and labor leaders, would
have been the law in so far as interstate cor
poratons are concerned long before this had j
not been for the opposition of some Democratic
statesmen, and particularly Hoke Smith o
Georgia. An ardent supporters of the bill wa
Senator Sutherland Of Utah, who win never b
classed as a Rooseveltian. The Republican par
ty of Hawaii two years agothad in its platform
plank relative to the subject, and made stron;
efforts TO pass the bill -
Other planks to which Mr. Ballou make
reference concern a new charter for Honolulu
artesian water control, the liquor control ant
public accounting. All of these are, of course
of purely local interest, and do not involve an
particular political principles In all proba
bility the Democratic party will have plank
along the same line. 1t is difficult to see VIII,
their adoption by the Republican party can b
used as an argument to show that that part,
has outlived its usefulness Indeed, as to on
of these planks, namely that of liquor control
the Progressires of the territory, simply fol
lowed in the footsteps of the Republican part,
of the territory two years ago.
The third party will have to trot out NOR
powerful arguments than Professor Ballou dis
plays i'm his first effuson.
Contributed