NEWS WORTH REMEMBERING
News Worth Remembering AFTER the special session of Congress called by President Taft had passed the Payne tariff law, it became a matter of common knowledge that the President regarded as...
...Your letters are at hand, and I have delayed replying until after the primary elections...
...He was opposed by two regular candidates, who were backed by the state machine with which Secretary Ballinger is affiliated...
...The cases probably will come to trial in November, if the indictments are free from technical errors...
...Tucker died several days before the primary, when it was too late for the progressives to have another candidate enter the field...
...McGovern carried 52 counties...
...Unable to gain control of their own party, these Progressives seem to have turned to the Democratic party in the hope of bettering conditions...
...Boutell in a statement made after the results were learned, declared that the primary law was a pernicious measure...
...Accordingly, the men recommended by these representatives for federal offices in their respective districts were not appointed, and, as a rule, men who had the backing of the "regular" opposition of the progressives were given the places...
...Strange, high tariff progressive...
...Enough of the "gang" were defeated by progressive candidates to give assurance that no longer will corruption openly stalk abroad at Springfield, unchallenged by an effective force of honest men...
...Taft Abandons "Pie Counter" On September 15 it was announced through the medium of a letter from Secretary Norton to an Iowa politician—not named—that hereafter regulars and progressives will be treated alike by the President in the matter of patronage—that no discrimination is to be made in the matter of federal appointments...
...James A. Frear, progressive, won the nomination for secretary of state over his "Taft-Republican" opponent by a majority of 60,513...
...The indictments charge that the companies of which these men are officers control 85 per cent, of the meat trade of the country, and that they have combined to monopolize and to restrain trade in violation of the Sherman antitrust law...
...The fight in Illinois is not yet over, for it is announced by the reform organizations of the state that in the November elections independent candidates will run against many members of the "gang" who secured renomination...
...30,579 Williams, Dem...
...The successful candidate in the third district, William La Follette, is an insurgent, and a cousin of Senator La Follette...
...Representative Poindexter, who has been one of the leaders of the opposition to Cannonism and who is thoroughly progressive on other subjects won by an immense majority the Republican nomination for U. S. Senator to succeed Samuel C. Piles...
...People Have Spoken" "The people have spoken as the party faces the fall elections...
...Dead Progressive Beats Live Tory Frank T. Tucker, progressive, won the nomination for attorney general over his most formidable "Taft-Republican" opponent by 5,642...
...He took a leading part in the attempt of the "organization" to boost the tariff schedules and the campaign against him was made principally on this issue...
...A progressive candidate to run in Tucker's place will be selected by the state central committee before the elections...
...Henry S. Boutell, the "Boanerges of Protection," a staunch System man and a close friend of Speaker Cannon, was defeated by an Insurgent...
...Many of the machine candidates for the legislature were renominated, including some of the men under indictment in connection with the Lorimer bribery scandal and listed among those who received a share of the "jack pot" put up for the passage of bad measures...
...Even his recommendation of a man for census supervisor in one of the Wisconsin congressional districts was turned down, although Mr...
...Hale announced several months ago that he would not be a candidate for reelection...
...He recognizes the danger that in certain cases expressions of feeling were so intense as to make it difficult in some instances for factions to come together and work for the party, but, as he stated in his letter to the Republican congres-sional committee, he believes it can be done and should be done...
...President Taft had given his assistance in the attempt to defeat Poindexter and every effort was made to accomplish this result...
...and Barker, county-option progressive...
...The renomination of some of the standpat Congressmen from Illinois is ascribed to the inability of progressives to unite on one man and the consequent dividing of the vote among several "insurgent" candidates...
...Illinois Still Struggles The lesult of the Illinois primary election, held on September 15, although disappointing to those who expected to see the bi-partisan "gang" controlling the political affairs of that state wiped out in a single day, nevertheless was a distinct gain for good government...
...In the election held in Maine on September 12, the Democrats elected their candidate for governor and two of the four Congressional Representatives...
...In practically every case where the issue was clearly defined between the representatives in Congress of the Special Interests and those who believe in the people's right to rule themselves, "standpatters" have been defeated by progressives...
...Circumstances surrounding his death, led to the general belief that he committed suicide by drowning as the result of a campaign roorback charging the theft of state envelopes...
...Fowler Meets Defeat In the primary election held in New Jersey on September 12, Congressman Charles N. Fowler, an anti-Cannon member of the House, was defeated by a "regular" candidate...
...1,832 La Follette thus received 42,252 votes more than all the other five candidates put together...
...His majority over his "Taft-Republican" opponent is 102,187...
...Poindexter Wins in Washington The victory of Representative Miles Poindexter in the primary election held in Washington on September 13, means a strengthening of the Progressive forces in the Senate...
...The...
...The election marked the first testing of the new primary law which was passed by the last legislature...
...Fairchild 11...
...Boutell Beaten In the contests for the Republican nominations for Congress, three Progressives were successful...
...Patronage Withheld Since that time the progressives in Congress have had their recommendations ignored and have witnessed the appointment of political enemies to offices in their districts...
...100 assembly nominees, of which 95 are progressive...
...Under the Illinois primary law it is possible for a well organized minority to win a victory over an intelligent but unorganized and uninformed majority...
...It was stated that President Taft believed that the Progressives were disrupting the party and that they needed "disciplining" in order to maintain "party solidarity...
...News Worth Remembering AFTER the special session of Congress called by President Taft had passed the Payne tariff law, it became a matter of common knowledge that the President regarded as "traitors to the party" those western Senators and Congressmen who had fought the regular organization in both branches of Congress, in its attempt to secure revision of the schedules not on the basis of the actual cost of production here and abroad, but for the benefit and at the dictation of interests now holding special privileges...
...From such a legislature, an effective measure of this nature was not to be expected, and its defects were shown during the campaign and in the election itself...
...40,791 Weuse, Dem...
...The recent results in Kansas, California and Wisconsin have shown the futility of attempting to obstruct progress through withdrawal of patronage and have furnished clear evidence to the President that the men who really represent the great majority of the Republican party are the so-called "Insurgents...
...15, 1910...
...In the preliminary skirmishes in certain states like Wisconsin and Iowa, and elsewhere, he was willing, in the interest of what the leaders believed would lead to party success, to make certain discriminations...
...Bancroft is speaker of the Wisconsin assembly, and was the presiding officer of the fake "convention" held in Milwaukee last June, in which capacity he received a telegram of congratulation to the "Republican convention" from President Taft...
...Two Republican candidates for Congress were victorious, both by very slight majorities...
...Andrew H. Dahl, progressive, won the nomination for treasurer over his "Taft-Republican" opponent by a majority of 50,744...
...18 Senate nominees, of which 15 are progressive...
...It is said that the administration intended in this way either to force the progressives into line or by depriving them of "patronage" to cause them to fall into disfavor among their constituents...
...He received 5,642 votes less than were cast for the name of Tucker...
...The character of the legislature is figured thus: 15 Senate hold-overs, of which 9 are progressive...
...That attitude, however, ended with the primary elections and nominating conventions which have now been held and in which the voters have had opportunity to declare themselves...
...The Democrats also gained control of the legislature, which will elect a U. S. Senator to take the place of Eugene Hale...
...His selection is in a way a direct repudiation of Ballinger by the people of his own state, for Poindexter led in the fight to have the Ballinger-Pinchot investigating committee appointed by the House of Representatives and not by the Speaker...
...La Follette, Rep...............142,978 Cook, Rep...
...At the time this is written, the result of the contest between William E. Humphrey, standpatter, and Thomas F. Revelle, progressive, is not known...
...After the Sugar Trust A Washington dispatch of the 17th stated that the American Sugar Refining Company, known as the "trust," is to be made the subject of dissolution proceedings by the Department of Justice, on the charge that it is a combination in restraint of trade, violating the anti-trust law...
...He will now follow the usual rule in Republican congressional districts and states, and follow the recommendations made by Republican congressmen and senators, of whatever shade of political opinion, only requiring that the men recommended shall be good men, the most competent and the best fitted for the particular office...
...the question must be settled by Republicans of every shade of opinion, whether the dlfferencea of the last session shall be perpetuated or shall be forgotten...
...The president recognizes that your efforts have been wholly disinterested, that you have fought sturdily and generously for what you believed to be his interest and the welfare and success of the party...
...But although the party machines were able to gain a victory in some districts, it is probable that the next legislature will not be absolutely controlled by a bi-partisan alliance, in the interests of Big Business...
...Of the three Representatives to which Washington is entitled, two will be Progressives...
...And it is also reported that the great piles of campaign literature, consisting of Taft's Winona speech and Cannon's Kansas City speech, will be disposed of to the junk man and the congressional campaign committee will use Senator Cummins' speech at the Iowa convention intead...
...The letter follows: Beverly, Mass., Sept...
...The growth of Insurgency has been steady there but the voters of the dominant party have been unable to destroy the machine and have had thrust upon them candidates who, when elected, have consistently supported System measures...
...The official count for Milwaukee is not yet in, and the figures from Oneida county are still incomplete, but these will not materially affect the total, as given below...
...In many districts the victory of "jack potters" was due to the inefficiency of the law...
...The two Republican Congressmen replaced by Democrats were among the most ardent supporters of Cannon and the System and had served many years in the House...
...Taft Club" Disbands A newspaper dispatch from Des Moines, la., states that as a result of President Taft's "surrender" to the progressives, as indicated by the letter of his secretary concerning patronage, the "Taft Club" has disbanded and it will no longer exist as an organization to fight Senators Dolliver and Cummins and the progressive cause...
...La Follette as chairman of the census committee of the Senate was in a position to retaliate—which he did not do...
...This, too, in spite of the fact that the progressive vote was divided among three other candidates who ran as progressives—Lewis, county-option progressive...
...Ekern's fight was especially hard, because he had to ever-come the activity of the great insurance companies, in addition to the activity of the System and the Administration...
...and Lewis 8. Thomas Morris, progressive, won the nomination for lieutenant governor over his "Taft-Republican" opponent by a majority of 29,139...
...Herman L. Ekern, progressive, won the nomination for insurance commissioner over his "Taft-Republican" opponent by a majority of 14,570...
...11,435 Collins, Pro...
...Senators Beveridge, Bristow, Cummins, Dolliver, and many other Senators and some of the "Insurgent" Representatives have been thus treated...
...Senator La Follette was the first of the progressives to be "read out of the party" in this way, and since this partial revival of the old "spoils system" began, his recommendations of men to fill federal offices within the state of Wisconsin have not been considered by the administration...
...Big Packers Indicted On September 13, ten Chicago packers were indicted by the special federal grand jury which has been in session for several months...
...The president directs me to express to you and to your friends his deep appreciation of the work which you have done and the powerful assistance which you have extended to the administration from the beginning—an assistance that has contributed much to the legislative and other successes which have been secured...
...Wisconsin Overwhelmingly, Progressive Official returns of the primary election held in Wisconsin on September 6 show a decisive progressive victory...
...Francis E. McGovern, progressive, won the nomination for governor over his "Taft-Republican" opponent, Edward T. Fairchild, by 25,583 votes...
...While Republican legislation pending in congress was opposed by certain Republicans the president felt it to be his duty to the party and to the country to withhold federal patronage from certain senators and congressmen who seemed to be in opposition to the administration's efforts to carry out the promises of the party platform...
...After his death an effort was made to swing the progressive vote to Bancroft,but so strong is progressive sentiment in Wisconsin that the voters decided to vote for the name of a dead man who had been a staunch progressive rather than to vote for his live opponent who was a "Taft-Republican...
...but the president has concluded that it is his duty now to treat all Republican congressmen and senators alike, without any distinction...
...The president feels the value of federal patronage has been greatly exaggerated and the refusal to grant it probably has been more useful to the men affected than the appointments would have been...
...16,089 Kleist, S. D...
...J. Ogden Armour, Louis F. Swift, and Edward Morris are prominent in the list of ten, practically all of whom are millionaires...
...Maine Goes Democratic For, thirty years the Republican party of Maine has been in full control of state and Congressional offices...
...The ten men are connected with the Armour, Swift, and Morris packing companies, and are interested in the National Packing Company, said to be the agency through which these three big packing companies control the meat trade of the country...
...If found guilty, the packers may be imprisoned and fined...
...Within the last few months primary elections have been held in many states...
...The remainder of the delegation is standpat...
...The president is confident you will yourselves meet your local and state situation in this spirit, and that you will write to your friends and ask them to do likewise...
Vol. 2 • September 1910 • No. 38
