Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-01-23
MOOSE NOT GOING
INTO REPUB CAMP
Unless That Party Shows Before
1915 It Has Effected
Serious Reforms.
M'CORMlCK'S STATEMENT
His Action In Joining Caucus at
Springfield No indication Of
Future Affiiistion.

mitteeman of the progressive party
/ and progressive member Of the hi
/ nois legislature today issued a state.
meHt explaining his acceptance Of the
Invitation to attend the caucus OF re-
publican legislators at Springfield and
Z his efforts TO aid IN organizing the
/ lower house OF the Illinois general as.
sembly. IN his statement Mr.. McCor-
| mi"k says:
The great number Of letters which
nave received from republicans as
ell as from progressives, au over
the country, show that undue impor.
lance mas been given TO Mr. Hicks
and my participation in the republican
caucus C the Illinois house of repre-.
sentatives, because OF the uuintention
al misquotation Of my statement 10
the caucus, on the part Of correspond.
ents who. Of course, were not present
A purely personal reference 10 the
pleasure OF association with old friends
belonging 70 the party Of my fathers
has been made to imply that we gave
Obligations regarding our future party
Affiliations. We gave none and none
was asked OF us
mediate cuty Of helping 10 organize
the Illinois assembly, threatened with
a deadlock over the speakership. The
democratic party in the assembly Is
in a state of even greater confusion
thar two years ago, half of the mem.
bers supporting Lee O'Neil Browne
The remainder are divided roughly.
into two groups, apparently not recon-
cilable to one another.
No Collective Action
"Alr Hicks and / could join the 10.
rubl;cans in an effort at responsible
Constructive political organization. or
we could play the role usually com.
mended bv parlor politicians. the til.
liardesque gentility, the dancing mss
tiers OF j0urnalism-tha Of unheipfm
criticism. We chose the former. and
the parlur politicians and villiardes5ue
Journalists promptly abused MS for
what haG been commendable in Can
ScLUrz III the period from 1872 10
1876. It may be that IN 1916 nethe-
IF the oder parties viii adopt a g5o.
gram or put forward candidates who
can he approved BY the progressive IA
tional convention. but if either Of the
older parties do so. it is probable thai
il WIN secure the support of the ma
iority Of the progressives. Some Few,
Of course. especially in states like Cal
fJrnia. Colorado and Pennsylvania,
viii 90 70 the democratic party. some
few, in states like New York, Indiana
and Ulinuis, will go to the repulii-
IAN party without reference to col
ective action by the majority
The course which will be followed
~ prosI essives generally win Re de.
largely by the party I'm pow
sr. Until q few weeks ago progress
ives looked not unfriendly on the rec.
'rd If the democratic party, although
hey founG their spokesman ungrudg-
ftg Il acknowledgement Of its obliga.
ions 20 republicans or progressive.
The new federal currency system was
cHce!vec under the direction of Nel
on "a AIdrich. although somewhat
modified ~ Representative Glass and
senator owen. The so-calIed admin
stration trust bill, written in fat con-
radictiou Of all that the democracy
aid on Tie stump two years ago. Hcie
RATED icy George T. Rublee. himself
progressive, and were patterned an
he trust trjplets-the three bills scr
re regulation Of business. introduced
Y victor Murdock OF Kansas of the
lree mayor measures. the tariff IS iha
ne uflr-ly democratic in its c0ncrD
IN and terms
Course Ostastefui.
since the majority party has lu-
he'd the program born of the discus
on. which preceded by several gears
5 election to Office its course has 5-
me increasingly distastaful TO pro-
'essiYes. who do net care for the s-.1
Irchase ACT. WHO do NOT believe n
e Jones bin ready as they might
, 10 relinquish the Philippines. ca