Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-08-15

Chicago. Aug. S.-FolioWing Is the
full platform text Of the declaration OF
principles OF the progressive party:
The conscience of the people in a
time OF grave national problems has
called into being a new party, born OF
the nations awakened sense Of JUS
aice.
We Of the progressive party here
dedicate ourselves to the fulfllment of
the duty laid upon us by u fathers
Ito maintain that government of the
people, by the people and for the peo-
,a,le. whose foundations they laid.
We held with Thomas Jefferson and
Abraham Lincoln that the people are
the masters of the constitution to full
hn its purposes n to safeguard it
from those who. by perversion of it's
intent. would convert it into AN instru-
anent of injustice. In accordance with
the needs of each generation the people
must use their sovereign powers to es-
tabiish and maintain equal opportunity
and industrial justice. to secure which
this government was founded and with
"cOt w men IO IcIJuOlG CdI INJURY.
This country belongs to the people
who inhabit it. Its it's bust
ness. its institutions and its laws should
be utilized. maintained or altered in
whatever manne will best promote the
general interests. 1t is time to set the
public welfare in the first place.
The Old Parties.
Political parties exist to secure re-
sponsible government and to execute
ff., Mill Nf fhn Nanp1o ENrnyO fbaSn
great tasks both of the old parties
have turned aside Instead of instru-
ments to- promote the general well
fare. they have become the tools of cor
rupt interests which use them impair
TALLY to serve their selfish purposes.
enthroned an invisible government.
owing nc allegiance n acknowledging
no responsibility to the people. To de-
stroy this invisible government. to de-
-stroy the unholy alliance between cor-
rupt business II corrupt politics is the
first task of the craftsmanship of the
day.
Deliberate betrayal Of its trust by
the republican party and the fatal in
capacity Of the democratic party to
deal with h new issues of the new
time have compelled the epople to forge
a new instrument of government
through which to give effect to their
will in laws and institutions. Unham-
pereG by tradition, interrupted by
power. u~ndisnlayed by the magnitude of
the task. the new party offers itself as
the strulne of the people to sweep
away old abuses to build a new and
noblef commonwealth.
A Covenant With People.
This declaration is our with
the people, and we hereby bind the par
ty and it's candidates in state and ma
tiOn to- the pledges made herein.
TIE Rule Of the People.
The national progressive party, COM
:mitted to the principle of government
by a self controlled democracy ex-
pressing it's will through representa-
tives of the people, pledges itself to
mental laws of the several states n
of the United States as will insure the
representative character OF the gov
eminent. In particular the party de-
'clares for direct primaries for the
nomination of state and national Of
ficers. for nationwide preferential pri-
maries for candidates for the presi-
-dency, for the direct election of United
States senators by the people, and we
urge on the states the policy of the
short ballot with responsibility to the
people secured by the initiative, refer
.endum and recall.
Amendment Of Constitution.
" PAO6LC0SaNS party, OCIlcSlIl6 LIldI
a free people should have the power
from time to time to amend their fun
danlentals law, so as to adapt 1t pro-
excessively to the changing needs of the
people. pledges itself to provide a more
easy and expeditions method of amend
ing the federal constitution.
Nation and State.
UP to the limit of the constitution
and later by amendment of the con-
stitution, If found necessary, we adj
vocate bringing under effective ma
tiOnal Jurisdiction those problems
which nave expanded beyond the reach
OF the individual states.
1t is as grotesque as it is intolerable
that the several states should by un-
equal laws in matters of common con
Germ become competing commercial
agencies. barter the lives of their chill
dren. the health of their women and
the safety and we'll being of their
working people for the profit OF their
financial interests.
The extreme insistence on states
rights by the democratic party in the
Baltimore platform demonstrates anew
it's inability to understand the world
into which it has survived or to adj
minister the affairs of a nation of
states which have in all essential re-
spects become one people.
Equal Suffrage.
The progressive party. believing that
no people can justly claim to be a
true democracy which denies political
rights on account OF sex. pledges itself
to the task of securing equal suffrage
to men and women alike.
Corrupt Practices.
We pledge OUR party to legislation
that will compel strict Limitation of all
campaign contributions and expendi-
lures n detailed publicity of both be-
fore as we'll as after primaries and
elections.
Publicity and Public Services.
We pledge our party to legislation