The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1922-07-07

The progressive movement
this time seems to be within The
Republican party, which is better
than a split. The Boston Her
aid in a recent editorial said:
Suppose the country should reall!
go% Progressive" at the elections
this fall What would be it's effect
on the country and on the politica
parties There is some indication
that it may happen. There will be
no Progressive" party as there was
in 1912. But there will be, to all eff.
fects and purposes, a Progressive
movement within one and possibly
both of the existing political parties,
The primary elections in Indiana,
Pennsylvania and Iowa show that the
Republican party, at least, is just
now largely influenced there by the
Progressive" element within it.
The Maine primaries showed that in
huence much less.
Certain Republicans are inclined
to regard the Progressive" victories
as a menace to their party. Having
in mind the Progressive or Bull
Moose party which grew out of Col.
Roosevelt's victories in the presiden-
tial primaries in 1912, with its con-
sequent defeat of the Republican
party in the November election of
that year, these Republicans regard
the present indications as of great
danger to continued party ascend
ancy.
This is not necessarily the case. 1t
may be that instead of danger, the
Progressive" victories may prove to
be a distinct benefit to the Repub-
lican party They may afford that
recognition within the party to pro-
gressive and liberal-minded Republi-
cans which conditions in the past
two years have denied them. They
may prove the salvation of the Re-
publican party from a detection of
voters which, without the Progress
sive" victories in the recent prim-
aries, might throw the Republican
party into a position in which it
would fail to command a majority of
the congressional districts this fall.
The circumstance not to be over
loomed by those who take to heart
the welfare of the Republican party
is that Beveridge, Pinchot and Brook
heart are after all Republicans and
are regular Republican candidates of
the regular Republican party. If
elected, they will in general SUPPORT
the Harding administration. By
nominating these men, the Republi-
can party stands for, to the extent
that these particular candidates.
represent the political ticket of the
Republican party this year. If the
Republican party contains so large
proportion of Progressive" voters
Within its ranks, the best thing that
can possibly happen is to give them
the representation on the ticket to
which they are entitled by all the
rules of political action
Mr. Harding himself is not unaffect-
ed by the Progressive" tinge. His
recent actions indicate that he is
cognizant of the desire on the part
of the country for the adoption of
many of those policies and govern
mental actions with which we asso-
ciate the term Progressive" The
divergence of views between the
President md Senators johnson and
Borah, who are the best known as the
progressive" leaders within the par
ty, is apparently much less than It
was two years ago when Mr. Harding
was nominated at Chicago.
From the very day that Mr. Hard
ing was nominated, two years ago
this month, there arose some appre-
hension that the "Old Guard had
regained control of the Republican
party. In spite of this sentiment, |
Mr. Harding was elected by an I'M
majority. This was in
large part due, not to the popularity
of "Old Guard leadership, but to
the popular reaction against eight
years of Mr. Wilson's personal domi-
nation of the Democratic party and
Of the country. Now that the anti
Wilson reaction has found expression,
1t is but natural that the normal
can party should again become ap-
parent before Mr. Wilson came to
the presidency. The Progressive
is an entirely proper and
natural movement in American pol
tics at this time. 1t comes in
form that may be highly beneficial to
the Republican party and may in
deed insure the success of the par
Tvs congressional candidates this
TALL. 1t is not to be regarded as
or a danger, but a new
source of strength to Republicanism.
The death of DIR. WI Ting
Fang takes one. of the few
cinnamon, Americans knew well
md to a degree understood. AS