Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1916-12-28
G. O. P. UNION IMPOSSIBLE.
Idaho Progressive Chairman Says Or
ganization Cannot Merge With Reps

New York-That there is little
chance of a reunion of the Progressive
and Republican parties, but that union
of all the Progressive elements into one
organization is inevitable, is the opin-
ion expressed by Colonel James nj. In
persoll of Idaho in letter to the Even
ing Mail of this city. The Mail has been
gathering opinions from leading Pro-
gressives of the country in regard to
what the attitude of the members OF
the Progressive party will be with refer
ence to the future.
Mr.. Ingersoll says:
The results of the campaigns of 1912
and 1916 seem to have demonstrated
that the Republican party is already
too well organized. That 1T is all or
ganization, no heart or common cause.
That the so-called leaders have de-
generated into party bosses is proven
by the fact that the "Old Guard |" pro-
ceeded to re-nominate President Taft
in 1912 with the votes of the delega-
ton from the south, who were never
known or expected to send a single
Republican elector to the electoral col
lege. They did this when they knew
that majority of the delegates from
the Republican congressional district
from which the Republican electoral
votes must come, (if their candidate
be eected) were solid against Taft. The
result was eight electoral votes for their
candidate. They refused to profit by
this dearly bought lesson, and with bull
headed determination came down to
Chicago in 1916 determined to nominate
their candidate, when they knew that
the Progressive Republican delegates
who represented the voters who sent 81
presidential electors to the electoral col
lege in 1912 solid against Taft, were as
strenuously opposed to Mr.. Hughes. In
other words, they said to the Progress
sive voters. "You who had 81 cleo
toral votes in 1912 to your credit must
! lay down to us who had only the old
organization of the Republican party.
You ask, "How can the leadership of
the Republican party be established so
that it will be responsible to the voters
of the party
Easily if all Progressives of all par
ties unite under one banner. While the
reactionary element in the Republican
party should unite with their reaction
airy brothers in the Democratic and
other parties, and be compelled to rally
under one banner.
The two great issues-national pro-
hibition and national suffrage for
women, and other beneficial reforms
will be important factors in every ma
tional campaign until they are settled
right.
The voters in the west are not vot-
ing the old party tickets because their
| e. LaA
the parties changed leadership and
policies and that many of the old ma
tional issues are things of the past.
And if their grandfathers were living
today, they would refuse to be bound
by old party lines for obvious reasons.
In Lincoln IS time, the Republican
party advocated government by the
majority of the people. The reaction
airy leaders of the Republican party of
today believe in a government by a
representative class; in other words
minority class-a ruling class.
me doctrine advocated by the Taft
Hughes faction and the other reaction
aries of the Republican party of today
is exactly the reverse of Lincoln s
doctrine. The doctrine of the "Old
Guard" in the Republican party of to-
day is the reserve of the doctrine adj
vocated by the Progressives.
These two divisions of the Republi-
can party are as wide apart as the poles,
and there is no common ground. While
certain faction of the Progressive
leaders may be willing to meet GER
tain faction of the "Old Guardn and
agree upon plan to work together,
for campaign purposes only, the rank
and file among the voters of the two
factions, whose hearts are in the
cause, will not follow the above leader
ship.
The reactionary element in the Re
publican party should Immediately unite
with their brother reactionaries in the
Democratic party, so they can be happy
ever after while they listen to the siren
song of the big monopolistic combines
and the invisible government as voiced
by Their subsidized press.
The Progressives of all parties
should organize under an entirety dill
ferent banner.
Very truly yours,
JAMES NJ. INGERSOLL,
Progressive Party National Committee