The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-08-05
BEvERIDGE TO
 PROCRESSIvES
Speech as Temporary Chairman
 at Chicago.
DEFINES PARTY POLICIES.

Direct Primaries to Insure Freedom
 From Boss Rule-DeeIares For Wo
 man suffrase-Resulation, Not De-
 struction, of Big Businsss---Aldricsl
 Tariff Condemned.
 We stand for a nobler America. We stand for an undivided nation. We stand for a broader liberty, fuller justice. We stand for social brother hood as against savage individualisin. We stand for an intelligent co-opera- ton instead of reckless competition We stand for mutual helpfulness in- stead of mutual hatred. We stand for equal rigbts as fact of life instead of catch word of politics. We stand for the rule of the people as pracd- cal truth instead of "a meaningless pretense. We stand for a representa- tive government that represents the people. We battle for the actual rights of man.
 ] To carry out our principles we have a plain program of constructive re- form. We mean to tear down only that which is wrong and out of date; and where we tear down we mean to build what is right and fitted to the times. We hearken to the call of the present We, mean to make laws fit conditions as they are and meet the needs of the people who are on earth today That we may do this we found a party through which all who believe with us can work with us, or, rather, we declare our allegiance to the party which the people themselves have founded.
 X LAfter making the point that both the old parties were divided within. them selves between reactionaries and pro gressives, Mr. Beyeridge went on:l E This dnintelligent tangle is seen in congress. Republican and Democratic senators and representatives, believing alike on broad measures affecting the whole republic. find it hard to vote to- gether because of the nominal differ ence of their party membership. When sometimes under resistless conviction they do vote together we have this foolish spectacle legislators calling themselves Republicans and Democrats support the same policy, the Democrat ic legislators declaring that that policy is Democratic and Republican legisla- | tors declaring that it is Republican, and at the very same time other Dem .ocratic and Republican legislators op- pose that very same policy, each of them declaring that 1t is not Demo cratic or not Republican.
 This condition makes it impossible most of the time and hard at any time for the peoples legislators who believe in the same broad policies to enact them into logical, comprehensive laws. It confuses the public mind. 1t breeds suspicion and distrust It enables such special interests as seek unjust gain at the public expense. to get what they want. It creates and fosters the de- grading boss system in American poli- tics through which these special inter lests work.
 How Bosses Flourish. This boss system is unknown and inn ment in the world. In it's very nature l it is hostile to the general welfare. Yet ! it has grown until it now is a control ling influence in American public af- fairs. At the present moment notori- l ous bosses are in the saddle of both old parties in various Important states which must be carried to elect presi- dent. This Black Horse cavalry is the most important force in the practical lwork of the Democratic and Repub- lican parties in the present campaign, 1 Neither of the old parties nominees for president can escape obligation to these old party bosses nor shake their practical hold on many and powerful members of the national legislature. The special interests which suck the peoples substance are bipartisan l They use both parties. They are the invisible government behind our wis 1 ible government. Democratic and Re publican bosses alike are brother off cers of this hidden power. No matter how fiercely they pretend to fight one I another before election, they work to l gether after election. And acting sc i this political conspiracy is able to de
 lay, mutilate or defeat Sound and need
 ed laws for the peoples welfare and the prosperity of honest business and even to enact bad laws, hurtful to the
 peoples welfare and oppressive tc honest business
 l The Bane of Sectionalisn.
 But an even more serious condition I results from the unna tural alignment ] of the old parties. Today we Ameri cans are politically shattered by sec
 tionalism Through the two old parties
 the tragedy of our history is continu ed, and one great geographical par \ of the republic is separated from other
 parts of the republic by an illogica
 partisan solidarity.
 The south has men and women al l genuinely progressive and others al genuinely reactionary as those in othel j parts of our country. Yet for vel
 known reasons these sincere and hon
 est southern progressives and reaction
 aries vote together in a single party
 which is neither progressive nor re
 actionary. They vote for dead ira
 5ition and local fear, not Twin, conviction and a national faith. The,
 rote not for the Democratic party, bu
 against rss republican party. The
 want to be free from this condition
 they can be free from it through tn national Progressive party.