The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-08-06
FOULkE LEADS THE
PLATFORM ASSAULT
Richmond Man Objects to the
Length of the Various
Planks Outlined.
(NationaI News Association

(NatlOnal News ASSOctat1on)
CHICAGO, Aug 6.-The committee
on platform of the national Progress
| sive convention got into lively row
/ soon after organization was perfected
last night and some pretty plain words
were spoken in discussing the pro-
posed declaration of principles of the
new party.
| 1t was apparent from the first that
the platform probably could not be
completed before late Tuesday night
or Wednesday morning. 1t is due to
go to the convention Wednesday after
noon.
| After full discussion in the general
committee the plan OF the leaders was
to appoint a subcommittee of seven to
confer with Col Roosevelt and to work
out the platform with him.
| The idea will be to condense into
crisp, short planks the various ad
vanced ideas to be outlined to the con-
vention tomorrow by the colonel in his
so-called confession of faith" speech.
1t was said tonight that practically all
of the progressiveness in Col. Roose-
velt's speech will be adopted in the
platform.
| There are two or three of the more
radical ideas, however. which may not
! be included Col. Roosevelt, it was
said, would not object to the elimina-
ton of few proposals, but is insist
ent that all the rest shall be contained
! in the platform upon which he is to
run.
Present Tentative Platform.
Soon after the committee met to-
night the draft of tentative platform
was presented by group of leaders
in the new movement, who had met
several times to discuss the matter
The draft was said to express the
combined ideas of Dean Lewis of the
law school of the University Of Penn
sylvania, Dean Kirchway of the law
school of Columbia university, Clifford
Pinchot, Chester Rowell of California,
Charles Mccarthy of the legislative
reference bureau at the University of
Wisconsin, Medill Mccormick of Chi
cago, James R. Garfield of Ohio, and
other close personal friends of Col.
Roosevelt.
1t had been announced that these
men had drafted a scholarly platform
which was a program of genuine So
cial and industrial justice and which
would mark a new era in this connec-
ton in the United States.
FouIke Leads Attack.
1t required an hour and half to
read this tentative platform, and i'm
! lot "a
committee attacked it with vigor. Will
liam Dudley Foulke of Indiana headed
the assault. He declared that the plat
form should be shortened to one-quar-
ter it's length.
Hugh T. Halbert of Minnesota took
the floor as soon as Foulke had fin
ished his criticism. He called the plat
form verbose, pedagogic and lacking
in vitality
This platform as presented here, ~
said Halbert, docs not even note the
birth of this new party. 1t seems to
me that this fact should be set forth
in terse, energetic fashion.
Furthermore, this document makes
violent attack upon the Aldrich cur
rency plan without offering the slight
est remedy A reasonable currency
plan, the question of the high cost of
living and some adequate method of
handling the trusts are vital points
and should be set forth above all else -
Several other members of the com
mittee took stand similar to that of
Halbert, and various planks were torn
apart and derided. 1t was then an.
nounced that the committee would be
engaged in revising the platform until
Wednesday morning before it would
be in shape for submission to the con.
vention.
Jane Adams Makes Plea.
The committee heard every one who
appeared with an idea until nearly
midnight
Miss Jane Adams of Hull House
was among those who appeared. She
lifted her voice on behalf of the ne
groes and asked that the new party
stop, look and listen" before disfran
chising in their convention the negroes
of the south.
Planks were proposed on civil serv
ice reform, prohibition, and nearly ev
cry advanced political idea of the day
and the committee adjourned its pub
lie session shortly before midnight tc
consider the platform in executive ses
sion.
After the executive session had
been in progress for an hour, Chair
man Lewis stated that no definite re
port would be made tonight and that
the committee would meet again to
morrow.
MAyerbeer