Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1912-09-29
Declaration of Principles of the Progressive
Party.


iple, by the people and for the people whose
foundations they laid
We hold with Thomas Jefferson and
Abraham Lincoln that the people are the
masters of their constitution, to fulfill its
purposes and to safeguard it from those
who, by perversion of its intent, would con-
vert it into an instrument Of injustice. In
!: -cordancc with the needs Of each genera
ltion the people must use their sovereign
power 20 establish and maintain equal o.
portunty and industrial justice, to secure
which this government was founded and
without which no republic can endure.
This country belongs to the people who
inhabit it. Its resources its business, its
institutions and its laws should be utilized,
maintained or altered in whatever manner
will best promote the general interest.
It is time to set the public welfare in the
first place.
The Old Parties.
Political parties exist to secure RESPONSE
bic government and to execute the will ri
the people.
From these great tasks both of the old
parties have turned aside Instead Of in
struments to promote the general welfare,
they have become the tools Of corrupt in
terests which use them impartially to serve
their selfish purposes. Behind the osten-
sible government sits enthroned an invisible
government, owing no allegiance and ac-
knowledging no responsibility to the peo-
pie.
To destroy this invisible government, to
dissolve the unholy alliance between cor
rupt business and corrupt politics is the
first task Of the craftsmanship of the day.
The deliberate betrayal of it's trust by
the Republican party, and the fatal inca
pacity Of the Democratic party to deal with
the new issues of the new time, have COM
PEELED the people to forge new instrument
OF government through which to give effect
to their will in laws and institutions
Unhampered by tradition, uncorrupted by
power, undismayed by the magnitude of tn
task, the new party offers itself as the i'll
strument OF the people to sweep away old
abuses, to build new and nobler common
wealth.
Covenant With the People
This declaration is our covenant with the
people, and we hereby bind the party and
Its candidates in state and nation to the
pledges made herein.
The Rule of the People.
The Progressive party, committed to the
principle of government by self-controlled
democracy expressing its will through rep
'resentatives Of the people, pledges itself to
secure such alterations in the fundamental
law of the several states and of the United
States as shall insure the representative
character of the government
In particular, the party declares for direct
primaries for the nomination of state and
national officers, for nationwide prefercn-
tial primaries for candidates for the pres
idency, for the direct election of United
States senators by the people; and we urge
on the states the policy of the short ballot,
with responsibility to the people secured by
the initiative, referendum and recall.
Amendment of Constitution.
The Progressive party, believing that
free people should have the power from ..me
to time to amend their fundamental law 8,
as 70 adapt it progressively to the changing
needs of the people, pledges itself to provide
q more easy and expeditions method of
amending the federal constitution.
Nation and State.
Up to the limit of the constitution. and
later by amendment of the constitution if
found necessary, we advocate bringing un-
der effective national jurisdiction those
problems which have expanded beyond