New-York tribune., 1915-03-06
AS 1T STRIKES A REPUBLICAN
Comment on the Progressive Platform ol
Mr.. Bates.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: At your suggestion am glad to
comment on the letter Of my friend Lndon
Bates in your issue of yesterday. While
your editorial, THE Failure" in the same
number, gives what is probably the best OF
answers, there are a few additional obser-
vations which may properly be made.
Apparently the Republican party was in
for a beating At all events, that is what
it had in 1912 Does it need another in
1916? Does the Democratic party need one
more? Who best can beat the Democrats?
The Republican party has its limitations,
to be sure, but it always had them. Mr..
Bates, when he was a Republican, used to
say that it was the party of progress, and
that such social reforms as had been ac-
cepted in this country had all originated
with our party. We others, who did not
leave it. think it has not changed so much
since he was one of us. We are not satls-
fed, but we are working ahead.
All is not gold that glitters, nor every
thing progress that bears the label Mr.
Bates's programme illu trates this For eN-
ample, he sincerely favors responsible gov
ernment and says so, but in the same
breath he advocates the most i!lbcral
measures und-r the guise of popular rule
measures which, if adopted would destroy
responsibility and make representative gov
ernment a farce.
II is not progress to impair unnecessarily
local initiative and suppress individual ca
pacty and local custom; it is not progress
by coercion of a minority Of the states to
attempt what can in truth be accOmpl shed
better by education and agreement. True
progress comes with time; laws may help
or hinder, but if they are to help they
must be the result of patience and deliber-
alton. The trouble with our Progressive
friends is that they admit no limitation to
what can be done by amendment of consti-
tutions and laws, and they are in hurry
about everything.
Take. for example, Mr. Bates's criticism
of "our short-sighted rulers meaning, |
suppose, the city fathers-for fooling with
bundle days and municipal lodging houses
when they might be abolshing poverty.
Poverty began before 1912, and, fortunately
for the world. those with hearts and COM
sciences are not waiting for the millennium
before they give what passing relief they
can.
We all recognize, however, that other
laws than those Of nature have been at
work since 1912. The war has only aggra-
waited existing conditions, which, as result
of the Democratic attack on business, were
thoroughly bad long before war was even
suggested To that extent the situation can
be remeded in 1916, and we are looking Tor
some agent TO apply the remedy.
How does Mr.. Bates know that the Re
publican party is dominated "by cynical re
dictionary leaders,? We do not need to
deny IT, We need only point to our chosen
REPRESENTATIVES in this state OF the party
Governor Whitman, Chairman Tanner. the
delegates t-large to the Constitutional
Convention.
In attempting to prove Progressive credit
for the measures passed at Albany by the
Democratic Legislature of 1913 at the extra
session, he fails to recall that this occurred
few weeks after the people Of the state
had voted for Republican Assembly and a
few days after a Republican state confer
ence declared for such measures. In other
words, it WAS the Republicans, not the Pro-
gressives who forced this action.
As for the Hughes policies. there was
never much in common between them and
the Roosevelt policies. II is true that
Hughes is still to-day a name to conjure
with among the Republicans. He was and
is a real leader. If even more Republicans
follow him now than formerly elected him
twice 10 the governorship so much the
better.
The assumption may be passed that any
body outside the Progressive ranks looks
20 that organization for leadership. or that
its officers are trustees for all who have
left them. However. | cannot forbear a
protest against the excuse that the country
needs this "strong organization" so as 70
bring pressure on other parties. Mr.. Bates
has read history. He knows what this kind
of a weak third party means. II he were
to speak out his whole mind he would ad-
nit that he wantsethe power which comes
from holding the balance without the re-
sponsibility which goes with a true and
substantial opposition. Let him beware
lest those Of his fellows with less con-
science than himself set too high an es.i-
mate on their nuisance value. as he throws
their weight from one party 10 the other.
Mr. Bates has a place in the scheme OF
things, but his party has not. The Ameri-
can people are not interested at present In
any mans personal political future. They
are interested to know who can best whip