Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-09-06

mind, in the meantime the people have
| changed their mind about re-electing
Taft.
| Crooked business can't ne divorced:
! from crooked politics by either of the
old parties. because the old parties
are in the grip of the bosses and they
won't let go.
THE Progressive party stands for
| the election of senator's by the pen-
| PIE and for nation wide preferential
primaries for the nomination OF
| Presidential candidates Its purpose
| is determined and its platform 10
| framed to make that purpose effective,
| to regulate trade and to prosperity.
"Our economic principles must be re-
CONSTRUCTED and re-shaped and the press
ing need for such reconstruction pre-
Serving the good and destroying the bad,
becomes after a lapse of time the neces-
lsty of every progressive nation. Just as
tho hide-bound and privilege-intsenched
Tories had to give away to the new born
! Liberal party in England and the old
| Wing had to give way TO the Republi-
cags under Lincoln SO now the CONNER
cialized parties of boss rule must give
way to the humanized Progressive party
under Roosevelt and Johnson
| Samuel Lindsay of Columbia UNIVERSE
| ty read the platform as adopted by the
resolutions committee.
! The reading was interrupted by the en-
trance of Comptroller Prendergast
Three cheers for William a. Prender-
CAST the next governor of the state of
New York. shouted a delegate. Cheers
and Bull Moose cries responded
Prof. Edwin f. seiguan of Columbia
University seconded the motion for the
adoption of the platform. =
w. Bourke Cochran who followed Prof
Seligman in speech favoring the adop-
ton of the platform, declared he had
Joined the Progressive party in order to
maintain his Democratic principles.
The Platform.
| The platform as presented to the
| Progressive State convention, tonight.
re-Itiirms the national platform and
| pledges support to Col. Roosevelt and
Gov. Johnson and declares in the pre-
| amhle:
| The hopes of a generation are real
lieu IN the birth of new party. uns
hampered by any corrupt political
past or by the invisible government
which has long coerced legislation to
serve special and private interests we
| present our first state ticket.
I'VE pledge ourselves to the elimi-
nation of special privilege in every
| form. We covenant unceasing war
against the use of political or gov
| ernmental power for the private gain
of bosses or their friends. who would
bril' up individual fortunes through
monopoly, high prices and inerdinate
| profits.
we propose to use the powers of
the government to protect property
| rights no less than heretofore, but
seek also to serve human welfare
| more"
/ National issues as presented in the
Chicago platform are dealt with at
| great length The entire program of
| proposed legislation to advance the
| interests and condition of labor is en-
dorsed and the declaration made that
| greater responsibility in carrying such
| measures into effect rests upon the
| state than the nation. TO permit the
| carrying out of the program the re-
| organization of the state department
OF labor with fun powers to act is
| urged. 4 separate declaration is made
| IL favor of Workmen's conlpepsa-
! ton act, and the pending censtitu-
| tional amendment ON this subject is
endorsed. On other national subjects
! the repeal of the "socalled reciproc-
lty' is demanded and ii rapid extern
| sionsof the parcels post system.
Regarding the judiciary the plat
form says: I'VE endorse the declara-
| ton. Of our rational platform respect
ing The Judiciary. aud favor their en-
bodiment in the organiv law of this
! state.
| The selection of judges by AMIGA
Die understanding between the bosses
OF beth political parties and LAWYERS
| OF easy partisanship but ardent deyo-
ton to corporate interests we de-
| nounce as fraud. To secure real
| -partisanship the nominations and
elections OF judges should be wholly
| apart from party columns or party
designations ON the ballot
Pledges are made for "A real direct
| primary and Presidential preference
primary law, the Massachusetts bal
| lot ana a corrupt practices act clearly
| dehnlnS election abuses, providing
Imprisonment as the only punishment
| lof DflDe-glving and requiring pub
hclty of campaign contributions before
/ and after election"
me election of United States sena-
tors by direct vote of the people is
| favored.
Regarding woman suffrage the plat
| form says:
We pledge our party and its cam
dldatess to support loyalty and work
Tor the women suffrage constitutional
amendment at all stages"
Other planks are:
TO give the people an effective ulti-
mate check upon the abuses of gov
ernmental power, we favor the initia-
tive, referendum and recall and here
by specifically reaffirm our national
platform.
We would give the governor. under
proper restrictions. the power directly
to invoke the referendum as to leg
islature measure recommended nv
him.. but not enacted by the legisla-
| ture. e
We favor a constitutional amend
ment to enable the people to propose
constitutional amendments by petit
ton and to adopt or reject a tho ,,oIl,