Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1912-08-14
RULE OF PEOPLE
i IS The KEYNOTE |:
Progressive Platform Pledges
=. Many Reforms
IS ROOSEVELT DOCUMENT.


itiative and Referendum Lauded and
Recall Of Judicial Decisions
New National Committee.
Chicago, Aug. 1.-THE Progressive
platform, adopted amid great cheering,
is about 5000 words long. The follow
ing is the text in part:
The conscience Of the people in a time
of grave national problems has called into
being new party, born Of the nations
awakened sense of justice.
We of the Progressive party here dedi-
| cate ourselves to the fulfillment of the
| duty laid upon US by our fathers to main
tain that government of the people, by the
people and for the people. whose founda-
| tons they laid.
We hold. with Thomas Jefferson and
| Abraham Lincoln. that the people are the
| masters of their constitution. to fulfill it's
purposes and to safeguard it from those
who by perversion Of It's intent would
| convert 1t into an instrument Of injustice
This country belongs to the people who
! tnhabit It. Political parties exist to Sc
cure responsible government and to exc
! cute the will of the people From these
! great tasks both the old parties have
turned aside. Behind the ostensible gov
|
| eminent owing no allegiance and &C.
knowledging no responsibility to the peo-
| pie. To destroy this invisible government,
| to dissolve the unholy alliance between
corrupt business and corrupt politics. is
the first task Of the craftsmanship of thu
| day.
The deliberate betrayal of its trust by
the Republican party. the fatal incapacity
Of the Democratic party to deal with the
/ nf t1o t3p1e4 1ov1
PEELED the people to forge a new instru-
ment Of government through which to
| give effect to their will in laws and insti-
| tutions.
A Covenant With tho People.
This declaration is our covenant with
the people, and we hereby bind the party
! and it's candidates in state and nation to
| the pledges made herein.
| The Progressive party declares for d.
rect primaries for the nomination of state
and national officers, for nation wide pref
| erential primaries for candidates for the
presidency, for the direct election of Unit
ed States senators by the people, and we
| urge on the states the policy Of the short
ballot with responsibility to the people, Sc
cured by the initiative referendum and
| recall
| The Progressive party pledges Itself to
provide more easy and expeditions meth
cd of amending the federal constitution.
| Up to the limit Of the constitution and
later by amendment Of the constitution,
II it is found necessary, we advocate
bringing under effective national juris-
| d1ction those problems which have ex-
| banded beyond reach of the individual
| states.
| The extreme insistence on states rights
! by the Democratic party in the Baltimore
| platform demonstrates anew its inability
to understand the world into which it has
| survived or to administer the affairs of a
union Of states which have in all essential
! respects become one people.
Equal Suffrage.
The Progressive party, believing that no
| people can justly claim to be a true de-
mocracy which denies political rights on
account Of sex, pledges itself to the task
Of securing equal suffrage to men and
women alike.
We pledge our party to legislation that
will compel strict limitation of all cam
paign contributions and expenses and de-
tailed publicity of both before as we'll as
| after primaries and elections.
We pledge our party to legislation COM
polling the registration of lobbyists, pub
ltcity of committee hearings. except on
| foreign affairs and recording of all votes
in committee and forbidding federal ap-
|
national political organizations or taking
part as officers or delegates in political
| conventions
The Progressive party demands such re-
strictions of the power of the courts as
shall leave to the people the ultimate
authority to determine fundamental ques-
tons of social welfare and public policy
TO secure this end it pledges itself to pro-
vide:
First.-That when an act passed under
the police power of the state is held I'M
| constitutional under the state constitution
by the courts the people, after an ample
interval for elaboration, shall have an
opportunity to vote on the question
whether they desire the act to become
law Notwithstanding such decision
Second.-That every decision Of the high
est appellate court Of state declaring an
act of the legislature unconstitutional on
the ground Of it's violation Of the federal
constitution shall be subject to the same
review by the supreme court of the United
States as Is now accorded to decisions
sustaining such legislation.
Administration of Justice.
The Progressive party pledges itself to
work INCREASINGLY for the reform of legal
procedure and judicial methods.
We believe that the issuance of injunc-
lions in cases arising out of labor dis
putes should be prohibited when such in
functions would not apply when no labor
disputes existed.
| We also believe that person cited for
contempt in labor disputes, except when
such contempt was committed in the &C.
tual presence Of the court or so near
thereto as to interfere with the proper
administration of justice, should have a
| right to trial by jury.
The supreme duty of the nation Is the
| conservation Of human resources. We
pledge ourselves to work increasingly for:
Effective legislation looking to the pre-
| vention Of Industrial accidents occupa-
| tional Diseases overwork, involuntary I'M
employment and other injurious effects
incident to modern industry
The fixing Of minimum safety and
health standards for the various occupa-
tons, the prohibition of child labor, mini
| mum wage standards for working wo-
men, the general prohibition of night
| work for women and the Establishment
Of an eight hour day for women and
young persons, one days rest in seven for
all wageworkers, the eight hour day in
continuous twenty-four hour Industries,
| the abolition of the convict contract labor
system, substituting system of prison
production for governmental consumption
only and the application Of prisoners
| earnings to the support Of their depend
ent families. publicity as to wages, hours
and conditions of labor, full reports upon
industrial accidents and diseases and the
opening to public inspection Of all tallies
| weights, measures and check systems on
| labor products.
| We pledge our Dartv to establish a d.