The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-06-30
Mr.. whites Reply.

tlt IlltthLlHS III
The land is full of gentlemen who
were thoroughly discredited n retired
from public life five years ago. but who
are now bobbing up serenely from be-
low. talking glibly of time honOred Re-
publican principles and proclaiming that
the chief end OF man is to lick the
Democrats and enjoy their offices for
ever!
Nationally the Republican party Is
like the bronze statue OF Louis XVI. In
the Tuileries. without heart or bowels.
"The Republican party as II stands to-
day is exhibiting no vestige OF interest
in anything but the accumulation of
wealth prosperity rather h Justice is
the Republican aim. Property Is its
god. To owl. to control. to have and TO
hold-these are Republican ideals. To
give, to serve, to broader life and glad
den living-these in the composite Re-
publican mind are things OF the child
They have been put away along with
the Progressive leadership that passed
out of the party In 1912.
But the figures prove that Of the four
million who voted for Roosevelt two mill
ion nave returned to the Republican
party. Probably more than two million
have returned. But they have returned
to n re~actionary leadership. The Repub-
lican party to-day has In II no fighting
progressive leadership. The Progress
sives who have returned have their tails
between their legs. They came back to
lick the Democrats and they are making
no fight for the things which interested
the progressive Republicans four years
ago.
Divided In Two Classes.
Those who left the Republican party
three years ago are broadly divided into
two classes-those who left because the
party leadership was unfair to Col.
Roosevelt and those who left because
they knew why the party leadership was
unfair to Col. Roosevelt. The first group
has gone back-two million OF them.
The second group will stay away-ap-
proxlmately two million of them. Those
who voted with the Progressives last
autumn don't care whether the Republi-
cans whip the Democra, or the. Demo-
Gratis whip the Republicans In 1916.
What this group is trying to do is to
write a platform e~mbodying in to-day's
issues the fundamental principles of the
Observation-Disclosures view of life and OF
government and to poll enough votes to
scare the winners into an acceptance in
a more or less degree of intelligence Of
the demands of the platform. Two mill
ion votes will do IL. And the bait held
out by the thermometers under Mr.. Nc
Harg and William l., Barnum does not
interest this group remotely.
Mr.. McIIarg and Mr.. Barnum are
extraordinarily vigorous and healthy
men. Neither Is "A conspicuous a~ltruist.
So Is it probable they represent a group
of highly disinterested gentlemen who
are crusading now as they were four
years ago and three years ago for the
larger good as embodied In the Constitu-
ton Of our fathers. the divine right of
property TO rule and the ideal that the
richest country is the best country.
Men of those ideas spend their money
as lavishly as men OF the opposite ideals
give their time. And II is evident that
the rehabilitated Republican party is be-
ing toniced up with plenty OF money.
The reactionary leadership In every
State Is busy. Any plausible s~tandpat-
ter who can stand on his two legs and
talk about the time honored principles
of the party without mentioning any
issue since the civil war. Is abroad in
the land, stopping at good hotels and
showing signs of a recent renewal of
his financial youth"