South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-12-22
Six BULL MOOSE
NOW IN CONGRESS
Democrats Make Strong Bid
to Keep PrOgreSSiveS Out
of 6. o. P. Ranks.

IL A = n
Gratis Of the house viii do everything
possible to encourage the few re-
naming bull moosers to regard
themselves as a separate party. and
not he absorbed in the republican
party. The democratic majority in
I the house has been so lessened that
/ the detection of only a few OF its
mem bers or an epidemic OF in
surgency reaching a score or more
would. if the republicans voted
soHdly and the progressives with
them. turn the tables or the admin
Iistration.
! In the first vote recorded in the
house. two OF the progressives,
/ Copley and Stephens Of California
voted for Minority Leader James r.
Mann for speaker, indicating a
! leaning toward old school repub-
/ licanism. However, the balance of
/ the bull moose element, four in
number. merely answered present"
70 the roll.
Leaders Of both parties are anx-
ious now TO learn the general legis-
lative views OF Rep. Kent of Cal
ifornia, who is listed as the only
Independent in the house, and Meyer
London, the socialist member from
/ New York, while the socialist look
ed TO the majority for his commit
tee assignments. it is known that he
| is bitterly opposed To many of the
la administration measures, and can
not be counted on to take any heed
of party lines in voting.
Encourage Moose.
BY encouraging the few progress
sives in the belief that their party.
now representa- by only six congress-
men, can hope to make itself felt as
la powerful third factor in the house
at coming sessions if they refuse to
affiliate with the old-line republicans,
the leaders of the majority hope
that they can split off their votes
from the solid republican vote
when party measures are under con-
sideratiOn. and thus add a very i'm
portant handful of votes to their
control of the house.
! However, Rep. Mann and the other
leading spirits on the republican side
Of the lower house have not been
asleep. They received their first in
timatiOn that this would be the pro-
gram of the democrat when the
speaker, on his return to the city,
said that he thought Theodore
Roosevelt would be the republican
nominee for the presidency. The
speaker said at the time that in his
lectures in various parts Of the
country he had made a point of try
ing out the sentiment regarding Mr..
Roosevelt, and found it strong, par
ticularly among "the young bucks"
Is Only "a Ghost.
The statement is discounted by
the regular republicans as designed
Il injure their cause. They remain
firm in the conviction that the bull
moose party is now only a ghost of
its former self, and maintain that
Mr.. Roosevelt must come over to
their ways of thinking. as they will
not coincide in his views
The recent conversion of former
prOgressives. such as Rep. Chandler
of New York, is the strongest hope
of the republicans that others of
the party left in the house will feel
justified in following the example.
Republican leaders believe that the
old points OF difference which split
the party open and permitted the
election of a democratic ticket in
1912 have almost entirely disap-
peared as far as practical things are
concerned. New issues and new
ideas have arisen since then, the old
StandDatterS say. -~hich will Obliter-
ate the former points Of difference.
TO the ultimate confusion of the
democratic party.
The general attitude of the large
republican minority is TO warn the
majority leaders as each step is
taken in congress, that il viii be
used as a precedent for republican
procedure when they are once more
in power Among the older repub-
lican members, there is the greatest
feelings of assurance that the cleo
tions next fall will guarantee this
control of the house.