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Show SHALL PROGRESSIVES BECOME ' DEMOCRATS? The Standard notes that the weekly week-ly paper called The Progressive, published pub-lished in Salt Lake City, from tlme to time holds out that the Progressives and Democrats ought to fuse in Utah to defeat Reed Smoot. We reproduce the following from the issue of January Janu-ary 17: "Smoot will be a candidate for the senate. He does not represent the people of Utah nor the best interests of Utah. He has no appeal to make to the people of Utah. His political assets will be some of the forces and interests that procured his former election. Ho no longer controls all those Interests. Some of them may oppose him. Some of them see no further use for him or his kind Upon close analysis it is manifest that bmoot cannot carry Utah In a fair election, nor Is it a certainty that he can carry the state In any kind of an election. The ground swell Is anti-Smoot. There are enough anti-Smoot votes in Utah to carry the day. Progressives and Democrats of Utah have been advised ad-vised from their respective headquarters headquar-ters to get together and redeem Utah by sending a liberal-minded, progressive progres-sive man to Washington to take Smoot's place. This paper cannot speak for Its party, but It may speak to its party. Let Progressives think over these things now, because they will be called call-ed to act upon them later." The Standard denies that the national na-tional Progressive committee has sent word to the Progressive party in Utah suggesting fusion with the Democrats to defeat Reed Smoot. The mouthpiece mouth-piece of the Salt Lake leaders of the Progressive party has no right to make such a statement. The Standard and Its publisher were among the first of the Progressives tn Utah. We were Progressives when those who now pretend to be Progressives Progres-sives took us to task for our advanced Ideas. The Standard does not need the Progressive party as a stepping stone to join the Democrats. We have sufficient courage to walk right Into the Democratic camp if we should decide de-cide that Democracy is for the best interests of Utah. A Domooratic senator In place of Reed Smoot would simply be another vote for free trade on Utah products. Even if they were to find as liberal a Democratic senator as JameB Moyle of Salt Lake City, who believes in a tariff on Utah products, he would be muzzled by the Democratic rule that a majority of the caucus controls the entire party. The Standard and its publisher did not become Progressive with any Idea of revenge in view. As an independent, independ-ent, Progressive paper the Standard has neither friends to reward nor enemies en-emies to punish. We stand for the best interests of Utah, and, If it is for the best interests of Utah that a Republican Re-publican shall be returned to the United Uni-ted States senate in preference to a Democrat, the Standard will support a Republican candidate whoever he may be. In the words of Senator Brlstow of Kansas, "The rank and file of the Republican party is Progressive and the time is coming when the so-called Standpat leaders of the Republican party will be retired and the real Progressive Pro-gressive sentiment of the Republican party will be in control." Either that, or the Progressive party will be the party of the future. The Standard believes that the time will come when either the Republicans Republi-cans will become Progressives or the Progressives will become Republicans. It may be soon, and yet It may be some timo before such union takes place. No Progressive, of course, will care to follow the lead of such men as Barnes. Crane. Guggenheim or Lorlmer and that bunch of Standpatters, Standpat-ters, who are owned by the Interests. We expect the next national Republican Republi-can convention to repudiate them all We expect to seo the Republican national na-tional convention adopt the Progressive Progres-sive platform, and when that time arrives ar-rives there will be no good reason why the Progressives and Republicans with the samo platform, should have two separate and distinct parties. The Democratic party has shown Its Indifference towards western interests. inter-ests. It has protoctod eastern and southern interests and given the west free trade That alone should make it Impossible for any western Democrat Demo-crat to continue as a Democrat, and we cannot see why any Progressive should want to turn to the Democratic party even to defeat Senator Reed Smoot. It Is not so many years ago that Theodore Roosevelt was still a Republican. Even he has changed his opinions within the last few years materially, ma-terially, and there Is no reason why Senator Reed Smoot cannot change his views on existing conditions. The Standard already has pointed out that of all the Republican Standpat senators sena-tors Reed Smoot was the only one with courage to vote with the united Progressive senators. Of course, if Senator Reed Smoot Insists upon standing on a platform that Is reactionary reac-tionary and vhich refuses social Justice, Jus-tice, then, of course, It will be impossible impos-sible for the Standard and Progressives Progres-sives to support him for re-election Rut we have known Senator Smoot for some thirty odd years and we believe be-lieve that he will become Progres sive. He was elected as a Standpat Republican on a Standpat Republican platform and aB such has represented Utah. Who among the Progressive leaders in Salt Lake City dare charge that a Democrat can come nearer being be-ing a real protectionist Progressive than the Republican senator Reed Smoof It is said that Senator Reed Smoot will be a candidate for re-election and that the people will have to vote on his election next fall. If it Is true that Senator Reed Smoot seeks re-election, he will issue an address to the people stating the grounds upon which ho seeks re-election. Let us wait for Senator Smoot's platform. If it is not sufficiently Progressive to entitle him to Progressive support, then the Progressive party can put up its own candidate. At least Senator Smoot believes In the protection of Utah products which the Democratic party does not believe in. In this one instance, and we intent say In this great instance, Senator Smoot Is In accord with the Progressives. We are advised that Senator Smoot favors the election of Colonel Roosevelt for president In 1916. Surely Reed Smoot must believe in many of Colonel Roosevelt's Progressive Ideas In order to favor him for the preoldency. Prom what thiB paper has stated, there are those who have asserted that the Standard and its publisher unqualifiedly favor the re-election of Senator Smoot. That Is not correct We cannot say who the Standard will support until the platforms of the various candidates are presented, but we do say in advance that we cannot 6ee how a Progressive voter, who has no personal ax to grind, can prefer a Democrat to Reed Smoot from the one standpoint alone of "protection to Utah industries." |
