The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1916-11-15
The Lesson Of Defeat

| All sorts of conclusions have been drawn from
the defeat of the Republican party at the polls
last Tuesday The Toledo Blade believes the de-
feat teaches one lesson the old Republican
guard must retire. The country does not want
the old guard at the helm. It viii not tolerate the
abuses of the last Republican administration. It
positively has declared that it puts no faith in
the old leaders. The comment of the Blade fol-
lows:
If the Republican party is ever to become a
dominant force in the nation again it must learn
from Tuesdays defeat that progressive princi-
pies, progressive policies and progressive Repub-
licans must no longer be denied high place in the
party councils.
The lesson taught by the American voter is
as plain as day. Throughout the country where
the Old Guard ruled, the Democrats won, and
where the Progressive wing of the Republican
party was betrayed by the bosses, the opposition
found its harvest ripe to the sickle. California,
where Hiram johnson and his followers were
browbeaten and ignored, the Republican organi-
cation turned the scale in the final result. Other
Western states in which similar conditions pre-
vailed followed the lead of the great Pacific COM
monwealth.
No more striking proof of the correctness Of
such an analysis of the result need be evidenced
than that afforded by Ohio. That state, close kin
in geography and every other interest to Illinois
ana lQOlana ana M1CnlXdN, anu always u NC
counted on to follow the course of those sister
states in national elections, went Democratic by
tremendous odds, while the three others rolled
up Republican pluralities. While Illinois and
Michigan and Indiana were writing progressive
Republican platforms and making peace with the
returned Progressive party, men of the "Old
Guard" in Ohio were going to the limit in reac-
tionary policies and standpat leadership and for
getting the partys duty to the country in de-
termination to punish the men who had followed
Roosevelt in 1912.
There isn't any argument about it. The reas-
on for national party defeat is absolutely plain.
The blame and the shame lie upon the Old Guard.
They, the men who wrecked the party in 1912,
have again led it to defeat. Always liability
rather than an asset, always actuated by selfish
and sordid and unholy motives, they have at last
|steered the Republican craft to disaster which,
without radical measures in salvaging, will be-
come everlasting destruction.
The Old Guard should have been sent to its
political death years ago. The cleansing of the
party temple, already too long delayed, must be
undertaken now or never. Either Republican
standpatism or the Republican party must die.
The death of the one or the other cannot be de-
layed beyond another Presidential campaign.
The rank and file of the national Republican
party have twice been denied their rights and
their will by the Old Guard. After two crushing
defeats they will be found in no mood to submit
again. In 1920 they will be heard and needed or
as sure as the rises they will seek justice and
decency and patriotic Americanism under anoth-
er party banner.