Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-12-12
ASKS FOLLOWERS
TO STAND AlO
Fight to Have Our Platform !
bodied in Laws of Illinois, /
!. Says the Colonel.
CRlTICIZES The REPUBLICAN
He Declares It Waste of ri
to Attempt to Lure Us Bach
into the Organi-
cation"
The REPUBLICAN

Chicago, Dec. o--"Without trani
ing or pickering with the old r.rt
hSht TO nave our platform cmbod
IN the laws of Illinois, was the ann
Colonel Roosevelt to-day made to
newly elected progressive members
the Illinois Legislature to whom h.
livered his first speeih at the progr,
sive conference, which opened infor
ally to-day and will continue ov
We tuesday.
Besides pleading with the proEr.
sives to stand alone in their fight,
former president criticised the Nd
York court Of appeals, designating
position on the "bakeshop cases"
"preposterous" lie also criticised t
republican organization and said
was of sucn a character that no no
est man can he in it,
The formal opening OF tho confe
ence is not sche iuled to take place u
til tomorrow but large number
progressives. both men and women, a
ready are here. The largest sing
delegation to arrive came from Ne
York on a special train with Colon
Roosevelt to-day. The colonel WI
greeted at the railroad station wild
cheers and shouts HE can come back
IT am very glad 10 have the chan3
to come out here and say again thu
we are In the fight to the end and thu
it Is folly for the republicans to vast
time in thinking of any attempt to lud
US back into the organization that thei
have made of such a. character that nj
honest man can DO in It." Colond
Roosevelt said in his talk to the II
linois Legislators.
TRY TO Make PLEDGE GOOD,
Progressive members of the Legis
peculiar importance. They shoul
make good. as far as possible, GU
platform pledges We have not col,
troll of any Legislature or Congress
Progressive members ehould introduc
all measures we promised in the can,
paign and try az hard as they kno,
to have them adopted.
Our opponents now are making LOU
professions OF tho lip-loyalty to prc
gressive principles. so make thel
show up or back up They say tha
most of our measures are unconstitu
tional. We are the heirs of the re
publicanism of Abraham Lincoln an
the republicans who fought In the Civ
War. Lincoln's opponents also sal
he was trying to pull down the constl
tuition. The constitution should be al
instrument for securing justice al,
not n barrier between the people Q
justice"
He then discussed ut length the work
mems compensation and eight-hour laws
II was in this connection that he discusse
the action OF the New York court OF an
peals In everything in effect the Unite
States supreme Court,
THE court held the New York constitu
ton supreme and put the people Of tina
State In the position Of making 1t ncces
sary for them to have the United State
constitution amended by a vote of three
fourths of the States II they wanted It I
he in conformity with the New York law.
Such position was preposterous.
URGES JUDICIAL REFTRENDUM.
II hope" ne continued, that you wi
put into the laws OF Illinois, as I sha
try to put into the laws OF New York,
provision that II tho people want certal
laws, no official. governor. legislature c
court shall have the power to prover
them from obtaining those laws"
Seven of the nine members of tho Ma
tional executive committee took part +
the deliberations of that body this after
noon and tonight. Judge Ben B. Lindse
Of Denver was unable to come. VILLA
Finn of Pittsburg Is expected to-mor
row.
Members present at the meetings wer
United States Senator Jos. NJ. Dixon o
Montana. chairman: Miss Jane Adams
Chicago; George Prestley. Oklahoma
Charles Thompson, Vermont; Chauncc,
Dewey. Illinois: Walter Brown OF Ohl
and George w Perkins Of New York
Miss Adams will present to the con
ference tomorrow report Of sub
committee on tentative scheme OF fl
nancing an organization for tho proGrcs
sive cause.
Senator Joseph NJ. Dixon to-niS :,
characterized as widest gossip re-
ports of a contemplated effort on th'
part of certain progressives tn ousl
George w. Perkins from the chairman
ship OF the executive committee ami tC
eliminate him generally as a prom
inent figure in the party. II was also
emphatically denied that the presence
of Colonel Roosevelt was due to rlar
TO exert his personal influence TO 'hcaC
OF" the alleged movement