Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-08-05
CROWD
WELCOMES ROOSEVELT
fContinu q from DaRs IL
Convention Is Opened,

gressive party, of which Colonel Iheo-
lore Roosevelt is the head, opened the
first session Of its national convention
shortly after noon today. The Colise-
um, In which the convention Is being
held and where President Taft was re-
nominated, was filed with a cheering,
enthusiastic crowd.
Senator Dixon, chairman of the pro
visional national committee, called the
convention to order and announced
the selection of former United States
Senator Albert j. Beverage of lndl-
ana as temporary chairman. Directly
after Mr.. Beveridge's speech the com
mittees of the convention, resolutions
and credentials especially, We're APP
pointed. The convention then adopt
ed a resolution requesting ex-President
Roosevelt to address the convention
on Tuesday.
After adjournment today the COM
mittee on resolutions, with Dean
Kirchway of Columbia university, a
close personal friend of Colonel Roose-
welt and an ardent supporter OF the
new party, as one of the o potent
and influential members, will turn
their attention to framing the plat
form on which Roosevelt Is to run for
the presidency and which VIII repre-
sent the views of all classes of pro
gressives.
The committee on resolutions Is to
be peppered with all sorts and condi-
lions Of planks, representing the per
sonal ideas and desires OF some OF the
most radical minds in the country.
Dean Kirchway said that the views OF
all progressives In the new party are
to be listened to with attention and
consideration. There is to be no
sitting Of suggestion or idea. The
platform must represent c~oncretely
the views Of all citizens in the new
party who believe that conditions I'M
der the two old parties are adverse to
the demands of the American people.
Has National Convention Aspect.
Nearly all the states have opened
Headquarters in the various hotels. IN
every respect the aspects of a great
national convention have been assum-
ed. The New Workers., the Califor-
mans and the Pennsylvanians have the
finest headquarters. The original call
for this convention stated that 1t was
to consist Of a member from each con-
gress district In every state. This rep
resentation would be just one-half\ OF
In the Republican and Democrat"
ic national conventions.
Nearly all the states have responded
to the call far more generously than
its terms require. For instance. Con
necticut, with five congress districts
and two United States senators, would
be entitled under the call to seven dele
gates. Instead, Connecticut has sent
delegates who, In the pro
ceedings of the convention, Will be en-
titled to o~ne-Seventh of a vote each.
The same situation prevails in New
York, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Massa-
chusetts, California and nearly all 9th,
er states. Senator Dixon, after going
over the credentials, asserted that
there will be LOO delegates in the
convention, and 1t would be a diff
cult task to get the preliminary roll of
the convention in time for the open
session.
Senator Dixon rather believed that
the alternates the official repre-
from all the states who are
to participate In this convention VIII
number 1900. Senator Dixon reiterat-
ed that each and every delegate and
alternate had paid his own expenses
voluntarily, and in this statement
George w. Perkins of New York coin
cided. The makeup Of the delegates
and a~tternates to this convention re-
sembles what political historians have
recorded concerning the complexion of
the first Republican convention held
In 1855.
There are many long hairs here, men
and women with very pronounced and
radical notions of popular government.
clergymen of all denominations, settle
ment workers, ~suffragettes, prohibition
lists and others with views akin to
socialism. The personnel of the dele
gates Is truly remarkable. The earnest
ness, the direct purpose, the intensity
of spirit, the feeling Of opposition to
the old parties are some Of the drastic
features.
Seek to Per~petuatJ New Party.
There developed a feeling to the eff
feet that the National Progressive party
should demonstrate In some way that
Colonel Theodore Roosevelt is not all
there Is to the party, and while he
happens to be at the moment the mar
with the force and energy to repre-
sent the ~exigencies Of the situation
many of the delegates began to ex.
press opinions to the effect that II
movement 1t is said that they are re
lying altogether too much on the life
of n man.
Some We're free to say that il Colo.
mel Roosevelt should pass away dur
ing the present campaign the National
Progressive party would 60 to pieces
Such a contingency, they added, must
be guarded against. And yet thosa
who expressed these views confessed
that they had no remedy for the situa-
ton which confronts them, but that
they must fight on under Colonel
Roosevelt and whatever happened
must hope for long life for Roosevelt,
certainly until the National Progress
i've party Is firmly established, and
this they declared would come to pass
r-lthy~ &,,N ar thrAn