Palatka daily news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1919-1994, 1921-01-10
ESS|vES IN
SENATE To CARRY
ON THEIR BATTLE
JOHNSON SERVES NOTICE THAT
REACTION WILL NOT BE
TOLERATED
FIGHT TOCOME
ON STRIKE BILL
POindexter Measure Expected to Come
Up-JOhnsOn Says Certain Pro-
gressives Dead
By L. c. Martin
ited Press Staff Correspondent

United Press Staff Correspondent
Washington, Jan. 10-Senate pro-
gressives today served notice of their
intention to continue the fight on re-
action.
Through the statement issued by
Senator Hiram Johnson, of California
the Senators composing the progress
sive group warned that though polit-
ical leaders may have forgotten pro-
gressivism, it is "still cherished by
the great inarticulate mass"
Senator Johnson's statement
though it did not refer by name or in
detail to any particular person or
measure, was the warning of progress
sives to reactionary forces that the
progressive will not permit their op-
ponents to control the Harding admin
istration unchallenged, nor to pass
reactionary laws unhampered.
The statement clearly indicated the
determination of the progressive to
fire the opening gun of their campaign
when the senate takes up to the mo-
tion to reconsider the Poindexter an
ti-strike bill. Senator LaFollette will
call up that motion today, he an
nounced, unless prevented by Senate
business.
Some PrOgressives Have Passed
81 have read much lately" said
Johnson, "of the passing of progress
sivism. Progressivism has not pass
ed. Certain progressives have. The
limelight progressives who were more
interested in Office than in policies
have wanted their horrible past for
gotten, and have endeavored to atone
by out-regularing regularity"
This was interpreted as a slap at
Poindexter, author of the anti-strike
bill. who was once one of the leading
western progressives, but who of late
in the senate has voted and spoken
many time in opposition to the views
of the progressives.
But progressivism, continued Mr..
Johnson, though forgotten by many
so-called leaders, is still cherished by
the great inarticulate mass, is yet en-
shrined in the hearts of millions.
Reaction is on today, reaction
against the human advance of the last
quarter of a century and against the
political rights with such difficulty
won by the people. Reaction always
shows itself first in attack upon the
right of the electorate to choose for
itself its candidates for office, and to-
day we witness the assault all along
the line upon the direct primary. If
this succeeds, there's little that eX-
plotting privilege has to fear from
public officials. With the primary de-
stroyed, officials generally will ans
wer as in former days, not to all of
the people, but to the powerful few.
The bitter concerted movement
against labor, by which the splendid
gains of humanity are imperiled and
jeopardized, is the accompaniment of
the endeavor to take from all the vot-
ers the right of nomination of their
public servants. To prevent the elm
ination of the direct primary, of the
right of selection of public officials by
all the men and women voters, and the
destruction of notifications of that
which has been added to the common
welfare and enabled common human
ity to have a juster measure of life's
and enjoyment, if the
work ahead for progressivism, and
this work will be done by the rank
and file without, and if necessary in
spite of progressivism's former lead
ers."