Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-11-12
ROOSEVELT IS TO
CONTINUE BATTLE

New York. Nov. 12.-Theodore
Roosevelt made a formal statement
last night bearing upon the election
and the future of the progressive par
ty. In line with previous expressions
of his own and of his colleagues, he
reiterates that the progressive party
has come to stay" and so far from
being over, the battle has just begun"
He regards the party's showing in
polling more than 100000 votes in
the face of numerous obstacles nat
urally in the path of a new movement
as literally unparalleled in the his
tory Of free government"
Following is the text of the state
ment:
Il congratulate the progressives of
the country-that is, ! congratulate
/ those good men and women who, with
/ sincerity Of purpose for the common
/ good, have had the vision to look into
| the coming years and see what the fu-
ture demands from US who work in
| this present.
What the progressive party has
done since the theft of the republican
| organization by the republican bosses
/ at Chicago last June is literally un-
paralleled in the history of free gov
ernment, worked under representative
/ institutions.
Three months have gone by since
some hundreds OF earnest men and
women gathered to found the new pro-
: gIsSsigs- party Without mssis money!
without any organization, against tht
wealth OF the country, against the en-
tire organized political ability Of the
country. against the bitter hostility of
90 per cent Of the press of the coun-
try, against the furious opposition of
every upholder of special privilege,
whether in politics or in business,
and with the channels of information
10 the public largely choked-the pro,
gressive party has pO.led between A.
100000 and 4,500,O00 votes; has
hopelessly beaten one Of the old par
ties, both in the electoral college and
in the popular vote; has taken second
place in the nation, and either first OF
second place in some 81 of the As
states.
mo task in any way approaching
this has ever before been performed
by any party in our country. Such a
feat, performed by volunteers hastily
brought together and without any pre-
vious cooperation with each other
against the trained veterans OF the po
litical arena-these trained veterans
including the entire mercenary forces
Of politics-should be a source OF
pride not only to those who perform
ed the task but to all believers il
, good citizenship and in the capacity
OF Americans for selfgovernment.
During the campaign / said re
peatedly that this was in no shape OIL
way a one-man movement, but {
movement for great principles
movement which has sprung, as al
r healthy movements in our democracy
must spring. from the heart and con
science Of the people themselves. This
, truth must be kept steadily before tn,
minds OF al of US. The progressive
: party has come to stay.
4 deavor TO put into legislation any on,
! Of our planks it can count upon ou
hearty support in so doing, but we will
not rest contented until the entir,
, platform is enacted into law and be
come part of our political system. na
! tional and state.
, so far from being over the battl,
has just began. We will not rest con
, tent until every feature OF the pre-
: gressiye program has been put int
=, effect; and when this has been done
unQuestionably there will have open
ed TO US new avenues along which i
will still be a duty 10 work for tn
moral and economic betterment Of ou
people.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT