The Washington herald., 1914-10-05
Accessibility in 1916.

4
particularly. in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, I'LL
nois, Iowa and Kansas, have demonstrated that tn,
Progressive party is going the way of the Popuiis
party twenty years ago, and after one hysterica
spurt, it drops into mere incident, more or less
personal Gen. James A, Weaver, of Iowa, who
had been q Greenbaeker and constitutional kick.
against everything that was, became the hero and
the great personal of the Poput party in 1892
just Col Roosevelt became the great personal as
set of the Progressive party in 1914 In 1894, the
Populist party had so far been forgotten that the
Republicans carried the House with an overwheln-
ing majority and even Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa
contributed solid Republican delegations that ma
joriy. The election in November may not re-
verse the political majority in the House of Repre-
sentatves did that in 1894 but all indications point
to almost as complete disntegration of the Pro-
gressve party as there recorded of the Populst
party.
Col Roosevelt, in his recent speeches. gives evil
dence that he recognizes the failure of his effort
for in his tour of the West he discussed issues
which, while not new have been part of the
Progressive platform In Kansas he talked prohibition
and in Ohio he denounced both the old parties for
taking position against the liquor interests and he
went farther in his expressions of sympathy for the
Prohibtonists after he heard from the primaries in
New York Here is an old issue and party almost
as old the Republican party though it has never
had any influence in national election, except per-
haps, in 1894 when John P ST. John, as the Prohibi-
ton candidate used as an auxiliary aid to the
Democratic party against James G. Blaine Col Roose-
welt might succeed to the place and purpose of John
P. St. John and the Prohibition candidate for
President in 1916, further his against the Re-
- Al.
Democrats.
As Prohibition candidate for President, Col.
Roosevelt could put more nonpolitcal sentiment into
the campaign, than as Progressive candidate on the
theory that the water that has passed the
wheel is not effective in turning the mill AS Pro-
hbition leader, the colonel could fire the hearts of
Prohibition advocates take possession of the machin-
cry of the Anti-Saloon League, and convert many
churches into political The colonel has al
ways been something of evangelist, calling sin
to repentance, and he would be in his natural
element a Prohibition leader. He has been very
practical in his evangelical work. generally finding
the goats among those opposed to him, and desig-
mating as good sheep all who would come into his
fold, whatever their past delinquencies This would
fit in with part of the Prohibition program of help
ing everybody who would help them, regardless of
their past political affiliations but would upset their
effort to control all political parties the plank
of Prohibition by claiming to have political preu
dices and no political favortes touching all other
political issues, for he would insist having po-
tcal platform independent of the other parties.
1t might clear the political atmosphere on this
one question if the colonel should become the Pro-
hibitionR candidate two years from now We should
again have political patty devoted Prohibition, in
stead of bushwhacng warfare against Republican and
Democratic candidates for Congress- pledging Pro-
hibition support to any candidate of either party who
would for national prohibition and threatening
all who do not 1t would be up to the colonel and his
party to map out a complete program of government
taxation and expenditures instead of throwing that
burden on or the other of the old parties, while
throwing theoretical clubs into the wheels demor
alize any system of taxation ever invented.