The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1922-08-31
ONLY PROGRESSIVE
PARTY MAN IN SENATE

Johnson.
ONLY PROGRESSIVE
PARTY MAN IN SENATE
Then. aitho he had been elect.
ed az a republlcan--progr but
republican. none tho lers--hc
changed his party affillntion In the
congressional directory and appeared
as progressive without any re.
publican tackled on. iie waA. Incl.
dsntaily. tho only man who has ever
been IN the senate 40 a progressive
not even Ia Toilette has ever been
definitely labeled as nurh.
This was all entirely IN iins with
tho views of hts constituency. be-.
cause tho Insurgents were generally
carried along 10 victory with poin.
dexter IN 1910. and In isf. the stats
went for Roosevelt and the progress.
ulses by an overwhelming ma tort'y.
In spite Of this. poindextsr be-
gan 10 fall out with a c~rtsin sie-
neni Of the ps.gr-~~isr~ Ia this
state. along toward sho latter
part of his first term.
A has already been c,sronicied.
ruindester was among tho first ma
tsnnai figures 20 throw his 10, with
the Bull Moos~--bus he Mas aieo
among tho FIRST 10 return 20 tho re-
publican party. This can In no way
he ancribcd 20 any lack ~ progress
siveisfn on hia part AT that time. Il
was simply his uneanny political pre-
science. Ito eaw--as Roosevelt and
Johnson and all the rest wsrn "a res
little iater--that tho progressive
party. as such. had served its pur-
po~a. and that It's members could 10
their best work IN tho future in the
ranks of tho Republicans.
DOES NOT SUPPORT
OLE HANSON
So. in 1914. WREN ole Hanson---
yes. THE oie--ran a. progressive
for tho senate assIns, Wesley l..
Jones'. who had then iua, compic,sd
hts firr, term In the upper houss and
who had been rcnofninatrd b. the re-
pubiicana. Poindcxter entirely ig.
noFed the campaign. lie didn't work
for Jonen--but neither did he active.
" support Hanson'e candidacy. And
Hanson was defeated handsomely.
A. later events WEIR 10 prove.
rolndext~r used sound Judgment
In this instance. Tho progress
sivc party was desd--or on it,
death bed. al any rate--and iher~
was no u@r trying To rrsurrect n.
Moreover. Jones was later to
4 A.. -.
progressive n ianson--and mn
Infinitely safer man for. the sen-
ate.
Nevertheless. this acsion--or lack
OF action. 70 be more oxaet--cos,
poIndrx,er a certain amount or his
support. Austin r. Griffiths--wha
had been tho first prcsiden, OF the
Poindoxtcr.for.s Senator club In King
county--was angercd by II. and u
was really then that tho split be-
tween tho two men began. which
was later TO grow until Griffiths
became Polndextcr's bltterest enemy.
al he Is today.
poindox,er further estranged him
self from what may be termed tho
Criffiths element of the progress.
slvea when. at n progressive meet.
ing held in 1915. In the old Com.
mercial Club rooms. IN the Eltci
| building, hs made what was con.
sldercd nm evasivs speech on his
party affiliations.
EVOLUTION Is
JUST BEGINNING
II would be extremely unfair,
| however, to hold that Poindexter
was becoming any less progressive
ut this time. II was simply case
OF difference OF opinion on political
cxpediency. He thought that the
| best progressive work could be
done without n third party--that the
progressives could accomplish little
as long az the democrats were In
power. Some Of his constituents.
on tho other hand. wanted 20 perpct.
uate the Bull Moose party.
| SO there was something Of n split
but Poindcxter continued to be &C
lively progressive In his Legislative
work.
Lest there be any doubt on this
point. II IL well to recall that II was
during this period that he opposed n
motion TO strike provisos favoring
labor from tho antitrust section of
tho Hundry civil bill; voted for the
Clayton antitrust bill: voted for the
Immigration restriction bill. and was
equally progressive on other impor.
tant legislation.
unquestionnbly. however. Poindex.