The Sentinel=record., 1912-08-08


 cheer interrupted him. He pledg ed himself to aid Roosevelt in the fight for the common good, and concluded:
 T had rather go down to defeat with Roosevelt than to victory with any other presidential candidate"
 When Johnson finished, Beyeridge announced that the convention would end it's session by singing the doxo- logy and by listening to benediction by the Rev. James Goodman.
 The delegates, standing in their places, joined in the chanting of the old Puritan hymn.
 The chant rose in a great volume from the thousands in the hall. As it died away the minister stepped for ward and delivered the good bless ing.
 A few moments later an empty convention hall, filtered with torn paper. with state standards leaning at curious angles, marked the end of the first national convention of the progressive party.
 The Platform.
 The summary of the platform of the new party is as follows
 Preamble-The conscience of the people in time of grave national problems has called into being a new party, born of the nations awakened sense of justice.
 We of the progressive party dedi- cate ourselves to the fulfillment of the duty laid upon us by our fathers to maintain that government of the people, by the people and for the peo- pie, whose foundations they laid
 We hold with Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln that the people are the masters of their constitution to fulfill it's purposes and to safe guard 1t from those who by perver- sion of it's intent would convert 1t into an instrument of injustice
 This country belongs to the people who inhabit it. It is time to set the public welfare in the first place."
 The platform further declares that the old parties have become the tools of corrupt interests, which use them impartially to serve their selfish pur- poses" and that the new party offers itself as the instrument of the peo- pie to sweep away old abuses and to build a new and nobler eommon- wealth"
 Declares under heading "The Rule of the People" for direct primaries for the nomination of state and na- tional officers and candidates for the presidency; for the popular election 70 on the states the use of the short ballot. with responsibility to the peo- pie, secured by the initiative, refer endum and recall"
 Pledges the party to provide a "more easy and expeditions method of amending the federal constitu- tion."
 Advocates national jurisdiction os problems which have been expanded beyond reach of individual states.
 Pledges party to secure equal suf- frage.
 Pledges party to enactment of legis- lation limiting campaign contribu- tions and expenditures and providing for 2publicity thereof.
 Opposes participation by federal appointees in state and national con ventons.
 Demands "such restrictions of the power of the courts as shall leave to the people the ultimate authority to determine fundamental questions of social welfare and public policy"
 Pledges judicial reform, believing that the issuance of injunctions i'll Icl oh 0a fo1 when such injunctions would not ap ply where no labor disputes existed. :"
 Declares against child labor and for a minimum wage for women, for the prevention of industrial accidents. safeguards for health of employees, publicity as to wages, eight hour work day and establishment of a federal department of labor.
 Urges re- establishment of country life commission and promotion of the welfare of farmers.
 Pledges party to full and immediate inquiry and to immediate action to deal with the high Sust of living.
 Favors a single national health service.
 Demands national Regulation of in- terstate corporations and urges the 1 establishment of a federal commis- sion to supervise interstate industrial corporations" and fayors strengthen ing the Sherman law to insure com petition in business -ad prevent un- fair trade practices. Pledges party to enactment of a patent law that will prevent monop- | olies.
 Favors legislation giving interstate | commerce commission power to value physical property of railroads and l demands abolition of the commerce | court.
 Condemns method of issuing cur | rency notes through private agencies and urges control thereof by the gov | ernment alone.
 | Opposes the Aldrich currency bill. fayors government cooperation | with manufacturers and producers in extending foreign commerce. 1 Declares for prompt development ol all natural resources, condemning exploitation, waste and monopoliza- tion. Urges reasonable compensation to the public for water power rights