Evening star., 1924-08-03
BY q. GOULD LINCOLN.

part of great Importance in
the coming campaign and election.
Twelve years ago the Progressive
party headed by Roosevelt and
johnson, organized in protest against
both the old parties and in sup
port OF progressive social prin-
eiples, polled upward of 100000
votes and received SO votes in the
electoral college-running second to
the Democratic ticket and well ahead
of the Republican.
Where are the similarities2 Where
are the differences between the Pro-
gressives of today and the Progress
sives of a dozen years ago?
Comparison of Platforms.
The platform pledges given by the
Bull Moose and those of the indie
pendent Progressves today offer
!ardstick to measure these differ
ences and similarities thought, of
course. the strong personalities head
ing the two movements must also be
considered.
In 1912 the Progressives were led
by two former Republicans. who later
returned to the Republican fold. The
Progressives today are led by
Senator from the Republican side of
the aisle and Senator from the
Democratic side of the Senate cham
bcr. | put the question recently to
a far-seeing Democratic leader as to
what would be the status of Senator
Wheeler and of Senator La Toilette
in the Senate should the hoped-for
formation of an entirely new liberal
party not arise out of the present
movement.
Would the two Senators be well
coined back, for example. into the
party fold"
You have heard he replied. the
story of the prodigal son. and what
happened when he returned from his
~ anderings. You will remember what
fhappened to other Senators who
strayed from the party reservation
in 1912. Much is forgiven when votes
are needed"
Tariff an INlue.
In 1912 there was tremendous criti-
cism of the Payne-Aldrich tariff act
the agricultural States were aroused
both on account of the tariff and be-
ca use of the Canadian reciprocity
treaty. The Fordney- -McCumber tariff
act is an issue today. and the dis
tressed conditions of the farmers is
declared to be bound up with that
issue. In 1912 there was demand for
social reforms, particularly in indus
trial centers; there was also the
charge that invisible government
big business-was dominating the
life of the country. Today there are
similar demands for social reforms
and Senator La Toilette in his plat
form has declared the great issue of
the day is whether the Government
and industry shall be controlled by
private monopoly.
An examination of the two plat
foms-the Bull Moose and the La
Follette-shows that each deals with
immediate issues of their particular
day. 1t shows, however, many strik-
ing similarities. 1t shows, further,
that many of the legislative reforms
demanded by the Bull Moose plat
form have been enacted into law,
and that the La Toilette platform is
demanding more advanced steps be
taken along similar lines.
Points of Similarity.
Here are some of the points of SINH
larity:
In
nopoly.
The Bull Moose platform said in this
connection:
Behind the ostensible government
sits enthroned an invisible government
owing no allegiance and acknowledging
no responsibility to the people To de-
stroy this in&isble government, to dis
solve the unholy alliance between cor
rupt business and corrupt politics, is the
first task of the craftsmanship of the
day"
Examining the La Toilette platform
we find:
THE great issue before the Ameri-
can people today is the control of gov
eminent and industry by private mo-
nopoly. That tyrannical power
which the American people denied to
king they will will no longer endure
from the Dsonopoly system.
They know monopoly has it's repre-
sentatives in the halls of Congress,
on the Federal bench, and in the execu-
tive departments: that these servile
agents barter away the natural re-
sources, nullify acts of Congress by
judicial veto and administrative ia
sor s''
Control of Corporations.
Further along the La Toilette plat
form says:
we demand that the power of the
Federal Government be used to crush
private monopoly, not to foster it,"
The Bull Moose platform says
1--WE demand a strong national regu-
lation of interstate corporations-we do
not fear commercial power, but we in
sist that it shall be exercised openly,
under publicity, supervision and regu-
lation of the most efficient sort-to that
end we urge the establishment of a
strong Federal commission of high
Which, SHdii pSiia-
nent active supervision over industrial
corporations engaged in interstate COM
merce, or such of them as are of pub
lie Importance, doing for them what the
Government now does for the national
banks, and what is done for railroads
by the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion"
2. Curtailment of the power of the