U.S. At War: Death Rattle

The Progressive Party almost died of neglect last week in its own stronghold, Wisconsin. In a state-wide primary, it barely got enough votes (about 28,000) to remain on the ballot.* The once lusty voice of the LaFollettes, loud enough to be heard across the nation in 1924—when "Old Bob" pulled 5,000,000 votes for President—had become afeeble whisper. This news overshadowed the fact that Republicans had won an impressive 75% of the state vote.

Did this mean that Wisconsin voters had turned from the old faithful Progressive mixture—agrarian reform and a Midwestern suspicion of other nations? Progressives had explanations ready: for the...