New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-08
1920 CHALLENGE
BY "YOUNG WEST"
Chicago Fusion Manifesto
Regarded as Johnson
Gage to Politicians
COLONEL AND q. o. P.
BOTH FACE BATTLE
Spokesman of California
Governor Arrives in
New York To-day

What way the political winds Of 1920
will blow is most uncertain. The
weather vane, however, has taken a
significant turn since half dozen Pro-
gressive leaders who cast their lot with
the Republican party in the last cam
paign held a meeting at Chicago on
Tuesday and declared their intentions.
IL is pointed directly toward bitter
row for Progressive leadership and
dominating Progressive principles in
the "reunited Republican party" that
threatens TO rival the affair of 1912.
Apparently the guiding spirit Of the
recent Chicago gathering was Chester
| RI. Rowell, Republican state chairman
| Of California and recognized spokes'
man of Governor Hiram Johnson,
United States Senator-elect He and
the other leaders In their manifesto
declared that permanent progressive
advance could best be achieved through
the Republican party. But, they as
serted, that party must be "progres-
sivized" in organization, leadership snd
principles.
Progressives, they said, were neither
supplants nor penitents; just PLAIN
! Americans seeking justice and ready to
fight for it; DESTROYS of harmony bur
only the harmony of justice.
Challenge from West
Inquiry yesterday among plain Pro-
gressives. Progressive Republicans and
plain Republicans led inevitably to
only one conclusion. 1t was not said
or thought that the Chicago conference
/ would accomplish what it evidently mad
| in mind. But it was stated, and is gen
orally believed, that the gathering
I turned the weather vane; that IL maj
/ Gated the existence of movement that
/ is bound to grow in power and Strength
| during the next few years; that IL
! showed plainly what The Tribune
nointed out editorially soon after cleo,
/ lion. that young West is coming East
to take a hand in things.
That is the trend. In the present
| scheme OF politics il is based on the
general belief among Republicans ana
! Proqressives that the following can be
! set down as practical facts:
The Progressive party as such ~
dead. a thing of the past. The last
election saw its demise in New YORK
state. Il has passed out of existence
in most of the other states. and where
, il still remains a recognized party in
four or FIVE states its numerical
strength is negligible. In New YORK,
according TO unofficial estimates, less
than 5000 votes we're cast under the
RulI Moose emblem in the last cleo
ton. T. was necessary to poll ten
thousand 70 keep a place on the ballot
The Progressive movement rs more
nowerful than ever, but II Is less man
apeable and less subject 10 control py
anv one group OF leaders. Progress
sives themselves have become allied
with one or the other of the two great
narties. The ones who went 10 the
Democratic party are reasonably sat
ished that IT is striving toward theIr
ideals. Those who joined the kepuD-
licans feel the way the Chicago con-
ferrees expressed themselves.
sJrreconcilables" Even Bar Y. r
Retween them. however. is third
group which still chooses the. middle
Of the road. II is represented by MAJ
thou Hale. OF Massachusetts,; j. A. H.
Uopkins. OF New Jersey; Judge Nor.
toni. of st. Louis; John NJ. Parker OF
T,ouisiana. and few more local llghts
who are disgruntled with both Demo-
Gratis and Republicans and are striV.
inc IN keen the third party movement
1.-Two hut without George W. Perklns,
Colonel Roosevelt and the other FRO
oressive marty leaders who entered the
Republican fold. .,;.;.-
Interest as far as national polite
is concerned will centre Tor the heNe
four wears largely in the efforts OF the
Propressives who have joined the ne,
pubIicans. They scof at the third
Without Perkins, they ask, who VIII
bc the partys meal ticket? without
the Colonel, who will ne its leaderT
Rut at the same time in their partlc-
uIar movement. the road they have 20
travel is little easier than that OF their
disgruntled fellows, who four years
ago stood shoulder to shoulder with
them at Armageddon.
Tho Progressive West is coming
East. In the Republican ranks 1t IS
coming East, as the recent meeting III
Chicago is said TO indicate clearly
enough. 10 make the Republican party
which Progressives have espoused the
real Progressive party in 1920-Pro,,
gressive i'm organization, principles ana
leadership. II is prepared to hght LOT
it, aims. II realizes Its strength. us
principles-the Progressive principles
were discarded. forgotten or neglect-
ed in the recent campaign, and now IL
intends TO make them dominant
Ro~ell Due Here To-day
Mr.. Rowell will be here to-day TO
talk that proposition over with William
r. Wilcox, chairman of the Republican
National Committee. Mr.. Wilcox and
some other Republican leaders think
tho Chicago meeting on Tuesday was
lust "a renewal of faith The Tribune
is informed, however, that while
everything is up in the air" at present
the Chicago suggestion that the Repub
llcan campaign committee Of ten lie
publicans and six Progressives assume
the functions of the party's executive
committee is somewhat like an olive
branch held out in mailed fist.
According 70 the best information
obtainsble yesterday, 1t Is unlikely tns'
the national committee will accept such
a suggestion without a fight. The So
called sold Guard" in the East is more
firmly in the saddle than ever before
II controls the state organizations and
state governments In Pennsylvania,
New York. New England and several
influential Middle Western states, liks
Illinois and Indiana. In fact, the old
~rn rrtV
entrenched in their bailiwlcks IN the
IL o.. the Mestnrn Progressive Re-