But, at the time there was no 'rat party, and he was concerned of the potential largesse that would become a national government - elements of today's 'Rat party. Only irony that he would be part of the early 'Rat party of the day.
No the irony actually would be that the Progressive democrats and Confederate democrats were part of a natural progression. The southerner, Woodrow Wilson was sympathetic to the Confederates, swept the Confederate south in both elections (to celebrations in the south) and the Progressive democrats even revived the Confederate created KKK as well.
The large populist movements of the Confederate south even combined with the democrat party and its new progressive movement.