The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1916-08-02
The Wholesale Delivery Of
Progressives
TO THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
Easier to Justify AffiIiation with
Democratic Party Than
With g. @. p.
RECENTLY CHANGED HIS MIND

| AS matters stand to-day IL woul'
be more easy to make an argumen
| for our afiiliating with the Demo
Gratis than it would be with the Re
publicans.
Less than year ago George w
! Perkins wrote the foregoing. He il
the same Mr.. Perkins who is nov
| endeavoring to deliver the Pro
gressive party to the G. o. p. organ
ization. The statement was occa
stoned by the action of Frederick
Davenport and Theodore Dougla.
Robinson in going back to the Re.
publican party in New York State.
Mr.. Perkins is now member OF
the Republican campaign committee
His arguments of less than year
ago. when he was Progressive
however, carry just as much force
to-day as they did then.
Mr.. Perkins, August 9, 1915,
said:
The idea of trying to deliver vo-
tiers en- masse to another party SEEM
ed so utterly out of order and unfair,
and seemed to be striking so at the
Very heart of orr whole organizatio
that after careful consideration and
consultation with number of our
friends, decided to go to the Buffa-
10 meeting, which was by far the
largest one, and protest. in the name
of the National Organizat ton, against
any such action"
Mr.. Perkins also wrote:
The argument of Messrs. Daven-
port, Robinson and Hamlin is that
We are so weakened that we cannot
hope to win; that if we go back en-
masse to the Republican party We
can reform that party from within
and accomplish the undoing next
tendencies of that organization.
"To my mind this is such an alb
surd proposition that it hardly re-
quires an argument against it. If
there had been during this year or
any time since 1912 any indication
that the owners of the Republican
party had in the slightest degree
recognized their errors and reac-
tionary inclinations, then the ques-
ton of returning to that party
might be a debatable one, but every
one Of us knows that they have
shown no such inclination, and on
the contrary, wherever they have
had chance, have been more reac-
tionary than ever"
Mr.. Perkins also wrote:
Indeed, the very fact of our re-
turning now, with all the things
that the Republican party has done
since 1912, would have to be con-
strued as indorsing all these &C
tions. and as a complete surrender
on our part and an Acknowledgements
that We were wrong in 1912, and
would knuckle under. and obey the
men whom up TO date we have de-
Mr.. Perkins also wrote this:
ION the other hand, the Demo-
Gratis are showing some indication of
being in favor this next winter OF
the Tariff Commission. They have
at least taken a tiny little bit of
step in our direction on the great
trust and corporation question. In
this State New York; the Demo-
Gratis have given us the only social
justice legislation that has been en-
acted, while the Republicans have
since tried to nullify that legisla-
ton. .r.
You all know that personally
am opposed TO Democratic rule; that
| have not approved of PresidentWil-
sons policies. No one can accuse
me of ieanings in that direction, but
as matters stand to-day il would be
more easy to make an argument for
our affiliating with the Democrats
than it would with the Republicans"