East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1912-08-05
Temporary Chairman Sounds Keynote
Of National ProgressiVes at OPEN
ing Chicago Convention.
FOR EQUAL SUFFRAGE
Stands for "RuIe Of PeOple"-Have
Plain Program OF Constructive Re-
fOrm-Condemns Old Partles-To
Tear Down Only That Which Is
Wrong"

Chicago. ILL.,. Aug 5.-Ex-United
States Senator Albert j. Beveridge, in
his speech as temporary chairman of
the convention here today. outlined
the objects of the new party, and con-
demned the methods of the se-called
old form. In part he said:
I'VE stand for a nobler America.
We stand for an undivided nation. We
stand for a broader liberty. a fuller
justice. We stand for social broth
erhood as against savage individual
ism. We stand for an intelligent So
operation instead of a reckless COM
petition. We stand for mutual help
fulness instead of mutual hatred. We
stand for equal rights as a fact of life
instead of a catch-word OF politics.
We stand for the rule of the people
as practical truth instead of a
meaningless pretense. We stand for
representative government that rep
resents the people. We battle for
the actual rights of man.
'To carry out our principles we
have a plain program of constructive
reform. We mean to tear down only
that which is wrong and out of date;
and where we tear down we mean to
build what is right and fitted to the
times. We harken to the call of the
present. We mean to make laws fit
conditions as they are and meet the
needs of the people who are on
earth today. That We may do this
We found a party through which all
who believe with us can work with
us; or, rather, we declare our al
legiance to the party which the peo-
pie themselves have founded.
The Boss System.
This boss system is unknown and
impossible under any other free gov
ernment in the world. In its very
nature it is hostile to the general well
fare. Yet it has grown until it now
is a controlling influence in American
public affairs. At the present mo-
ment notorious bosses are in the sad
die of both old parties In various i'm
portant states which must be carried
to elect a president. This black horse
cavalry Is the most important force
in the practical work of the demo-
cratic and republican parties in the
present campaign. Neither of the old
parties nominees for president can
escape obligation to these old party
bosses nor shake their practical hold
on many and powerful members of
the national legislature.
Under this boss system, no matter
which party wins. the people seldom
win but the bosses almost always
win. And they never work for the
people. They do not even work for
the party to which they belong. They
work only for those anti-public in
terests whose political employees they
are 1t is these interests that are
the real victors in the end.
"These special interests which suck
the peoples substance are bipartisan.
They use both parties. They are the
invisible government behind our Wis
ible government. Democratic and re-
publican bosses alike are brother Of
ficers of this hidden power. No mat
ter how fiercely they pretend to fight
one another before election, they
work together after election, they
acting so this political conspiracy is
able to delay, mutilate or defeat
sound and needed laws for the peo-
pies welfare and the prosperity OF
honest business and even to enact bad
laws, hurtful to the peoples welfare
and oppressive to honest business.
ut is this invisible government
which is the real danger to Ameri-
can institutions. Its crude work at
Chicago in June. which the people
were able to see. was no more wicked
than it's skillful work everywhere and
always which the people are not able
| to see.
"But an even more serious condi-
| ton results from the unnatural align
ment of the old parties. To-day We
Americans are politically shattered by
sectionalism. Through the two old
! parties the tragedy of our history Is
continued; and one great geographical
part of the Repuhlic.ls separated from
other parts of the Republic by an IL
logical partisan solidarity.
Constitution Living.
THE progressive party believes