The chronicle=news., 1912-10-31
WHY I AN A PROGRESSIVE
By Hamlin Garland.

| Occasionally-not often--I am
asked. why are you for Roosevelt
and Johnson" and the only political
speech am capable OF making is in
answer TO that question. ] shall be
very personal because believe that
come down to the personal equation.
How does 1t affect one? What is
my relationship to this or that reform
or refo.mer?
am for the Progressive party he
cause II party organized for re-
form. iis leaders are proved REFORM
ers OF the paetical sort they have
written their deeds In the public
records of state and nation.
| Having been n rc:orIhcr for 30
years "a land reformer and an OPP
have supported the man who at the
moment represented some vital p.in-
ciplc OF progression. campalgned
for Cleveland in the days when we
believed he was about TO advance
tn. cause OF the people. ! supported
Bryan when he stood for the rights
OF the many against the demands OF
the few. and I advocated the re-elcc-
tion OF Theodore Roosevelt.
| Now when party organized to
sgnor. section lines. knowing no
south and no north. no east and no
west. is formed. q party with IA def.
initc contract with the people. I
would he false to- my thirty years OF
reform speaking and writing II I
did not instantly throw all my In
nucnce to Its leaders.
| With the platform as whole.
am s.nHle-hcartedly in accord. Its
humanitarian spirit. its demand for
the popular rule. its defense for
righteous business and Its defiance
of selfish and cruel finance. Its re-
assertion OF the conservation policy
I-all of those great principles are
put forth In language that cannot
be mistaken. They are stated In
terms which will enable the hum
blest man to bring an indictment
= gains, his leaders II these promises
are not carried out.
| The wording of this platform is
not ,ha, OF political schemers-:t Is
too plain, too direct. too uneQuivocal
Of phrase and paragraph. Ii Is an
utterance of men on fire with de-
sire OF nobler state. pnrer repub-
lie.
am for the Progressive party be-
cause of its leaders: because men
like johnson and Pinchot and Bever.
.idge. and S,raus are in 1t and lead
ing 1t and giving their best to 1t. II
is n party OF young and progressive
men a party of idealists led by men
of experience and moral conviction.
II am for the party because it rec
ogn,zes the rights Of women and ex-
presses the need OF legislation for
the protection OF women and chill
dren. No other party ever dared to
make such assertion for the preven-
tion of injustice to the helpless.
When have said this much my
friends say. Yes. but there is Roose-
welt. you are for Roosevelt"
Il AM"
WHY"
Questioner's tone. am glad to be
asked that question. I am for Roose-
Welt because he is reformer who
reforms He is an idealist who
knows how to get results. He is the
greatest all-round political leader in
America. His culture. his ancestry.
his sense OF history, his PERCEPTION
of humor. his prodigious memory, his
experience as a public official. his
rugged honesty and his marvellous
vitality make him the chief figure
in this crusade.
No president since Washington
has ever put through so many far.
reaching measures-and why? Be-
cause he was young president.
Most OF our presidents have been
old and inert before they took their
chairs. Roosevelt was In his youth
full. expanding. brave period when
he called by the hand of death to
the White house Handicapped by the
policies of his predecessor. he car.
ried himself with such discretion as
well as vigor that he was called to
an administration of his own. In
those four years when he was presi-
dent in his own right. he made a
record which has no equal in the his