Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 275, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 November 1914 — A PONTOON BRIDGE FOR PROGRESSIVES [ARTICLE]

A PONTOON BRIDGE FOR PROGRESSIVES

Horace Stillwell in Returning to Party Says All Other Progressives Should Do So. * -i—— - Indianapolis, Ind., Nov. 16.—Republican State Chairman Will H. Hays has received a letter from Horace Stillwell, of Anderson, Who for two years has been one of the strongest figures in the progressive party in Indiana* announcing his return to the republican party. In his letter Mr. Stillwell, who was one of the 60 men who signed the call for the first progressive national convention and who, during the campaign of 1912, served as vice chairman of the Indiana progressive state committee, announced that he had been authorized "by T. A. Randall, of Indianapolis, treas : urer of the progressive state committee during the 1914 campaign, and Clayte Sells, of Anderson, Sth district chairman for the progressive party in 1912, to announce that they also had again identified themselves with the republican party. ’ . ; '. j In a speech at the Marion Club in Indianapolis Saturday night' Mr. Stillwell said that his letter to 1 Republican State Chairman Hays' had been designed as a “pontoon bridge” over .which thousands ol Indiana progressives who now feel as he does might return promptly to the republican party. Mr. Stillwell’s letter together with Chairman Hays’ reply, follows: Anderson, Ind., Nov. 14, 1914. Hon. Wm. H. Hays, Chairman Republican State Central Committee, Indianapolis, Ind. Dear Sir: ’ I am returning to the republican party. I desire to join the republican party because the sequence of events* makes that party the appropriate and logical field for further progressive activities. As a member of the republican party I can continue the work without interruption that otherwise I would have .had to abandon by reason of the rapid djsintcgra. tion of the progressive party. | I east my lot with the republi-

can party with the same hopes and aspirations that prompted me to join the progressive party. I left the republican party in' 1912, reluctantly forced to the conbe purged from Within. 1 return to the republican party in 1914, forced conclusion that it cannot be purged from without and still believing . that it needs purging, I am going back with the army, of progressives that have gone before, and the reserves that are’to follow to join forces with the army of progressives that have nbver left the party, to try the effl--Oacy of the purging process from within. On July. 3, 1912, I stated to the' first progressive conference held in the state of Indiana definitely the reasons of my . joining- the progressive party, and that I may not be misunderstood, I am going to quote from that statement to emphasize my position today and tb explain the reasons why I am returning to the republican party. « “At the very inception of this movement it is therefore absolute-! ly necessary to establish the invio-; lability and sacredness of the in-j dividual right of party expression; -j that we maiy guarantee to all Jgho join our cause absolute and don-! tinued protection, in”the exercise | of his personal preference both as to principles and men; that the encroachment of the party organization upon the rights of the individual shall be made a heinous of- 1 fehse, punishable, if possible, under the law; that thg authority of the party organization shall be lijnifed to the duty of referee only charged only with the obligation of safeguarding contest within the party so that a free expression of its members can always be obtainable.... In other wiards, take such steps at the birth of the party as will prevent the necessity of a purging process at some time in the future. “It is not necessray at this time to enter into a discussion as to the platform of o.ur party and I will Confine myself to the one subj ct which I think all important—the protection of the individual in the exercise of Lis party rights. ... i The question is not whether the preference of the majority is right, but whether the majority has the right of preference; not whether our opinions are right, but wheth-, er ye have a right of opinion We do not repudiate the principles of the republican party; we do not repudiate the Hfethods that make* it impossible to put those, principles in operation.”

I am returning to the republican party for the distinct purpose of I lighting for the principles therein 1 expressed. I am not going back to the republican party on bended | knee, humble or penitent; 1 am going back as a militant progressiv armed with a 42-cm. Krupp gun,' loaded to the muzzle; and I un not going to train that gun on any individual in the party, but I am going to use it in attacks upon those methods that make the selection of unfit individuals possible. i am returning to the republican party because of the following plank in the republican state platform: 1 “Recognizing that party management and control ..should, at all times, be responsive to, and representative of, the sentiment and will of the party, and, believing that an indifferent attitude toward this principle has been responsible ill a great measure for party dissensions in the past, we pledge ‘ourselves tb” such fefo.rms in the methods of parfy organization, management and control, that in the future,•.the right of individual participation on the part of the membership w'ithin the party shall be sacred and inviolate and we further pledge ourselves that party programs, party platforms and party candidates shall be expressive oniy of the majority sentiment only of the majority sentiment tion or duress on the part of party madiagement.” A year ago we faced a long period in which democracy triumphant, threatened to retain its pernicious grip in national, state and municipal affairs in spite of the character of itas candidates, in the face of inefficiency and incompetency, succeeding without merit, winning without effort, a blundering minority, seemingly entrenched in power by the interminable obstinacy of the competent opposition; I am joining the republican party because 1 do not wiant to be classed with the interminable obstinate. I The issue raised at the Chicago convention was not against the republican platform, but against ; methods which openly and flagrantly set aside the known and recorded sentiment of a majority of it citizens at that time segregated within the party and the organiza1 tion of the progressive party was I primarily in response to the de mand for an appeal from the de Cision of the chair—there being no, method whereby an appeal could be taken within the party. The question presented at the national

election in 1912 was not upon the relative merits of platform promises, but simply was, “Shall the de- ' cision of the national committee ! stand?” And over 4,000,000 repub--1 licans voted “No”, and the appeal I was sustained and the methods | were rebuked and disapproved and it is up to the republicans remaining in the party to accept that vote as a sacred instruction, and to shape the methods of party control, that a simlilar revolt will be impossible of recurrence, It is /not important who your candidates arc; it is not absolutely vital what your platform is, but it is all method you employ to select your -.candidates and adopt your platform. Your Candidates change; your platform varies, but methods of party control should be as fixed and sacred as the under which free institutions flourish. • That progressives are going back to the republican party should not be construed as an abandonment of their ideals, or as a surrender of the demand of new methods of party procedure—they simply bebelieve that they can accomplish that demand suffrr and faster within the party than wtitfiout, and at the same time restore prosperity to the country. They believe in killing two birds with one stone, sblv-, ihg the bread-and-butter problem by defeating democracy, and at the; same time correct the abuses com-, plained of by- concentrating the' progressive sentiment in favor of the reforms in methods into a compact mass within the partyIt Is. my hope that all will come and that a united party will evidence its love for eternal justice by establishing within its ranks a new atmosphere of equity in which unjust individual discriminations shall terminate, an atmosphere in which each member shall not only] be jealous of his own rights butj equally jealous of the rights of his party-mates, an atmosphere that t will permit difference of opinion but that will not permit or sanc-| •tion a difference in the method of expressing that opinion. Hon. Theodore Randall, present treasurer of the progressive state central committee, and Hon, Clayte Sells, chairman of -the Bth district .progressive committee for 1912, to whom I have submitted the above for advice, desire to sign same. -As I am mailing same without either being present, I quote them as above. Assuring you again that I am returning only to help make the re-

publican party . the progressive party of America, I am *- Respect ft Uy yours, HORACE C. STILWELL. • Chairman Hays’ Reply. Nov. 14, 1914. Hon. Horace C. Stillwell, Anderson, Ind. • Dear Sir: . - Your letter of this morning is just received and I hasten to assure you of the sincere and unqualified welcome in the republican party which awaits yourself, Mr Randall and Mr. Sells, and this welcome is for the thousands upon of friends who feel justlae-*fou do” about the matter. It has been the purpose of the organization during the campaign to most earnestly, urgr» all wellwishers.of good government to aid in bringing about the results which are sb important to us all, each having an equal Voice in the management of all the party’s affairs. This policy obtains today and shall be continued. We have the greatest appreciation of those faithful men who, .since the earliest days of the party’s history, have’worked continuously for its success, and a most thorough realization of the quality of their loyalty; and for those -men who, like yourselves, have voted other tickets for reasons deemed sufficient, we have an equal appreciation, both of the quality of your citizenship and the integrity of your motives. The.rights, within the party, of all men now republicans,' are equally sacred and sacredly equal. This purpose of assuring equal participation on the part of party membership Las been j the lode-star of the organization during tire entire campaign, and it shall continue to be our prime moving purpose. This position has not been taken and is not now pursued from any ulterior motive. The party stands today pledged absolutely to the guaranty of full justice within its ranks, and the plank from the last republican state platform mentioned in ybur letter is simply a voicing of the determination within the party to give to its members an absolutely equal participation in the party’s management. ——- You will remember that this plank is the declaration of the party in convention assembled. As 'such it is the party’s sacred pledge, and the committee assures you and the thousands who are taking the same step which you are taking that it shall be the absolute pur-

pose of the party to carry out this declaration. I am sure that you, Mr. Randall and Mr. Sells, all feel, as your action evidences, that this proposition has been taken in good faith, and, of course, the partly i£ pleased, indeed, to have you join in the effort to preserve sacred and inviolable within the party the right of individual participation oh the part of the membership in the management and control of the party’s affairs, a condition which all republicans desire. 1 may add that it is the purpose today, at the pieeting of the state committee, to appoint a committee to redraft the party rules to such an extent as may be necessary to make certain in performance the promise made to the people in the plank of our platform which yd» mention. Sincerely yours, WILL H. HAYS, Chairman.