The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-08-05

We stand for a nobler America.
We stand for an undivided nation.
We stand for a broader liberty. a
fuller Justice. We stand for social
brotherhood as against savage indi-
vidualism. We stand for an intelli-
gent cooperation instead of reck-
less competition. We stand for mu-
tual helpfulness instead of mutual
hatred. We stand for equal rights as
a fact of life instead of catch word
of politics. We stand for the rule of
the people as a practical truth in
stead Of a meaningless pretense. We
stand for representative govern
ment 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that which is wrong and out of date;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 harlien to the call of the
present. We mean 10 make laws fl
! conditions as they arc 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
For this party comes from the gras:
roots. 1t has grown from the soil. o1
the peoples hard necessities. 1t ha:
the vitality of the peoples strons
convictions. The people have work t.
be done and our party is here to dc
that work. Abuse will only strength
en- it, ridicue only hasten its growth
falsehood only speed its victory.
| For years this party has beer
! forming. Parties exist for the people
! not the people for the parties. Ye
for years the politicians have made
the people do the work of the parties
instead of the parties doing the WORK
of the people. The people vote fol
one party and find their hopes turned
to ashes on their lips; and then, tc
punish that party, they vote for tbs
/ other party. So il is that partisan
victories have come to he merely the
peoples vengeance; and always the
secret powers have played their game
| Like other free people. most of II:
Americans are progressive or r"ac
tionary. liberal or conservative. The
neutrals do not count. Yet today
neither of the old parties are either
wholly progressive or wholly reaction
ary. Democratic politicians and of
| ficeseekers say to reactlonary demo
/ cratic voters that the democratic par.
ty is reactionarN enough to express re-
dictionary views; and they say to pro
| sressive democrats that the demo
cratic party is progressive enough t.
express progressive views. AT the
same time. republican politicians ant
| ot1iceseekers say the same thing ahou
the republican party to progressive
and reactionary republican voters.
This condition makes it impossi
BILE most of the time. and hard a
any time. for the peoples Legislators
who believe in the same broad pol
icies to enact them into logical. com
prehensive laws. 1t confuses the pub
lie mind. 1t breeds suspicion and dis
/ trust. 1t enahles such special inter
ests as seek unjust gain at the public
expense to get what they want I
i creates and fosters the degrading hos
system in American politics through
which these special interests work.
This boss system is unknown anf
impossible under any other free gov
ernmcnt in the world. In its Very ma
ture it is hostile to the general wei
fare. Yet it has grown until it nov
is a controlling influence in Ameri
can public affairs. At the presen
moment notorious bosses are in th'
saddle of both old parties in various
important states which must he car
ried to elect a president. This blacl
horse cavalry is the most mportan
force in the practical work of th'