Norwich bulletin., 1912-07-24
PROGRESSIVE ROOSEVELT CLUB
Organization Effected Here Tuesday Nght-G. Warren Davis President Meeting at Buckingham Memorial Has Attendance of 1OO-Hon. Herbert Knox Smith Pleads the Cause of the Colonel.

welt delegates to the national conven- ton. The national republican commit tee decided the contest in favor of the Taft delegates. Those 14 votes would have changed the nomination. If they can do this, the national committee can do anything they see fit
 Taft All Through.
 The national committee, being a Taft body, seats a Taft temporary roll. This temporary body seats a Taft chairman and appoints a credentials committee, which is, of course, a Taft committee. This committee decides the cases as originally settled by the na- tional committee, and the permanent roll is made up with Taft majority. The next business is the nomination of the president, and then the national committee is apointed for the next four years. Four years later the same thing Is repeated. The national com mittee is all powerful, Roosevelt forces or any other protesting forces are helpless in the republican party
 The democratic convention in Balti- more met with the sole aim of nomin- ating a man who would be elected, and but for a slight slip they might have succeeded in their purpose. The Par ker- Bryan fight arose and the demo- crats were forced to nominate a man who is styled progressive.
 Democratic Party Afraid.
 The democratic party today and in history is a party of narrow construc- | tion-a party afraid of power; @ party ! minimizing federal rights and strengthening state rights. They do l not stand for the kind of power nee essary to do what l wish to see done. 1 You must have power behind the par | ty and behind the government. The 1 progressive party stands for power to be used in the interests of the people who give that power
 Today the only means of effecting national action, which is open to you 1 is through the political party and I you cannot work the political machin- 1 cry and must let another operate il l for you, you are not a free American citizen. but slave.
 My old republican party left me. Int | democrats offered nothing which would support. l resigned the position l which I had held for nine years 1T the government service to go with th, l new party, because it is progressiyt | by the convictions of the men wh, make it up. not of necessity as tn, i democrats are; because it stands fo l men and not for money: because thu men who make it up want the direc vote and primary. and because at it head is the greatest political leade and statesman of today-Colone Roosevelt.
 On the close of MT. Smiths address
 which met much applause, Presiden Davis announced the state convention
 to be held on next Tuesday at the Fly | f-, oYaa
 urged all who could possibly do so t
 attend
 How the Party is Progressing. ' President Davis then presented Hor
 Ernest Walker Smith of Hartford, a t wose home the first Connecticut pro
 gressive party meeting was held. MI
 Smith told of visiting the small town surrounding Hartford and of the dee interest shown by the men in thes little communities in the new part.
 The movement, he says starts slowl. 5 but is gaining impetus all the time. ] have been in politics for ten years, bi never have I seen such sincerity an enthusiasm as shown in the promu
 sion of the new party. Get out ar | hustle for the party: this Is the b' l ginning of control by the people ' their own government. Mir. Smit
 concluded with a number of inciden . showing the advance which the par : movement has made already in Con ; necticut.
 z A rising vote of thanks was extent 2 ed to both H. K. Smith and E. Smith. and at the end three chee
 were given. Party membership blanl
 were distributed and the meeting a, n journed