Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-06
DRAFT Of PLATFORM
IS BITTERLY ASSA|LED
Tentative PIanks Are Declared
to Be Verbose, and Lack
ing in Vitality.

the national progressive party still is fr
the making and probably will not be
completed until late today after Col
Roosevelt has addressed the convention
A subcommittee Of the resolutions COM
mittee is at work on the mass Of planks
that has been turned in from many
sources and endeaSbring to get into few
words the ideas that all members Of the
committee agree upon. When the sub.
committee gets q tentative draft Of the
meet and 1t il likely that Col. Roosevelt
will be invited to meet with 1t.
The advocates OF short, terse plat
form seemed today to have won their
point and it was their hope to keep the
document within 800 words.
The committee on resolutions got into
a lively row soon after organization was
perfected last night, and some pretty
plain words We're spoken In discussing
the proposed platform Of the new party.
It was apparent from the first that the
platform probably could not be completed
before late tonight or tomorrow morn
ing. It Is due to go to the convention
Wednesday afternoon.
After full discussion in the general COM
mittee, the plan of the leaders last night
was to appoint subcommittee Of seven
to confer with Col. Roosevelt, and to
work out the platform with him.
The idea was to condense into crisp.
short planks the various advanced ideas
by the colonel. in his so-called confess
sion of faith" speech. It was said that
all Of the progressiveness in
Col Roosevelt's speech would be adopted
In the platform.
There are two or three Of the more
radical ideas, however, which may not
be included. Col. Roosevelt, It was said,
would not object to the elimination Of a
few proposals, but was insistent that all
the rest should be contained in the plat
form upon which he is to run.
Scholarly Platform Criticised.
Soon after the committee met last night
the draft of a tentative platform was
presented by a group Of leaders, who had
met several times to. discuss the matter.
The draft was said to express the COM
bined ideas OF Dean Lewis Of the law
school Of the University Of Pennsylvania.
Dean Kirchway Of the law school of
Columbia University. Clifford Pinchot.
Mccarthy Of the legislative reference bu-
reau at the University Of Wisconsin, Me-
dill Mccormick Of Chicago, James r. Gar
field Of Ohio. and other close personal
friends Of Col Roosevelt.
1t had been announced that these men
had drafted a scholarly platform which
was q program Of genuine social and in
dustrial justice and which would mark a
new era in this connection in the United
States.
1t required an hour and half to read
this tentative platform. and Immediately
tackled 1t with vigor. William Dudley
Foulke Of Indiana led the assault. He
declared the platform should be shortened
to one-quarter its length.
Called Verbose and Anemic.
Hugh T. Halbert of Minnesota took
the floor as soon as Foulke had finished
his criticism. He called the platform
verbose, pedagogic and lacking in vital
ity.
This platform. as presented here" said
Mr. Halbert, docs not even note the
birth Of this new party. 1t seems to me
that this fact should be set forth in terse,
energetic fashion.
Furthermore. this document makes q
violent attack upon the Aldrich currency
plan without offering the slightest REM
edy. A reasonable currency plan. the
question Of the high cost of living and
some adequate method of handling the
trusts are vital points and should be set
forth above all else"
Several other members OF the commit
tee took a stand similar to that OF Mr..
Halbert. and various planks were torn
apart nd derided. It was then announced
that the committee would be engaged in
revising the platform until tomorrow
morning before it would be in shape for
submission to the convention.
The committee heard every one who ap-
peared with an idea Until nearly mid
night.
Miss Jane Adams Of Hull House was
among those who appeared. She lifted her
voice on behalf of the negroes, and asked
that the new party stop. look and lis
ten before disfranchising in their con-
vention the negroes Of the SOUTH
Planks were proposed on civil serv-
ice reform, prohibition and nearly every
advanced political idea OF the day, and
the committee adjourned its public SEES
sion shorty before midnight to consider