Evening star., 1913-04-04
Nominated for Speaker by
Progressives of the House
of Representatives.
HIS ACCEPTANCE SPEECH
ADOPTED AS PLATFORM
Outline Of Legislation Which the
New Organization Hopes to
See Enacted.

Representative Victor Murdock of Kan
eas. elected to the House on republican
ticket, was nominated as the progressive
choice for Speaker of the House this
afternoon at an open conference of the
new progressive party of the House. 1t
was the first meeting of the second mi
nority party.
The talks made by the men who went
down into history as being the founders
of this new House element made it clear
that the progressives are going to keep;
themselves before the public at the COM
ing session. There will be no great
amount of legislation introduced by them
at the extra session, but it is regarded
as fairly possible that the party will
project a non-partisan tariff commission
bill
The meeting was called to order by
Representative Hinebaugh of illinois in
the money trust room of the House
office building. Representative Temple
of Pennsylvania was made chairman Of
the conference and Representative
Stevens of California, elected on repub-
Hcan ticket nominated Representative
Murdock for Speaker. The mention Of
his name was heartily applauded.
Mr.. Hinebaugh's Opening Speech.
II.
conference to order. said
'Ail great movements are the result of
the awakened conscience of the people,
The overlords of special privilege would
not heed the peoples wrath, organized
greed refused to stay its hand, and so the
progressive party was born. And upon
our shoulders rests the burden of shaping
its destiny. Our responsibility is heavy
The nation will little note nor long
remember what we say here, but what
We do in the Sixty third Congress, II we
earnestly endeavor to carry out the in
structions of those who sent us, will
never be forgotten.
We are making history. We stand
for the open caucus. We will not be
bound by the party whip. We believe
the people are entitled to know how their
business is transacted.
Murdock's Definition of Progressive
After being nominated for the Speakers
chair Mr. Murdock explained to the con-
ference and to the audience. which con-
tanned fair proportion of women, ex-
actly what the term progressive" means
His speech was considered in the light of
a platform for the progressives in the
House at the coming session. In part he
said
Here. as members of the House OF
Representatives. the peoples House. the
place Of all places for the activities of a
party dedicated TO the new democracy,
We are few in numbers. We shall not be
few long. But as many as we are, here
We shall stand for our covenant with the
people; for the establishing of direct
popular control Of the processes of gov
eminent through the primary. the initia-
tive, the referendum; for q readjust-
ment OF the relations between the people,
the legislature and the courts, for the i'm
mediate accountability of public servants
TO the electorate. through the recall; for
the maintenance of conservation policy
that Will prevent waste, restore losses
and prohibit private exploitation OF nat
ural resources; for the supervision OF i'm
dustrial corporations, that the community
may be saved from extortion and that
honest business may have peace; for a
full recognition of the rights of labor; for
the prohibition of Child labor; for q mini
mum wage for women; for equal suffrage:
for thrift in public expenditure; for pub
lie legislative meetings; for tariff adj
Justed upon non-partisan scientific COM
missions compilation of data so that its
benefactions shall reach the whole and
not part, law framed without secrecy
in committee. approved in open conference
and considered in Congress, subject to
amendment and debate and passed with
out the aid of threats to withhold public
patronage; for currency system that
will not permit any man, or any set Of
men or any class of men or interlocking
interests TO exercise control of the coun-
try's credit. for the safeguarding of the
Constitution from those who through
perversion of it's intent would convert
II into an instrument of injustice; for the
redemption of every pledge in our national
platform
Views of Others Expressed.
Other members present spoke Of their
ideals and irxent 10 save the country
The members present today We're Repre-
sentatives Chandler of New York, Bryan
and Falconer of Washington. Temple,
Rupley. Kelly, Lewis and Hulings of
Pennsylvania, Stevens, Bell and Nolan
of California, Hinebaugh, Copley and
Thompson OF Illinois, Woodruff of Mich
igan, Murdoch of Kansas and Lafferty OF
Oregon.
Representative Ira Copley of Illinois
was elected secretary of the conference.
Committees on legislation were appointed
and an apportionment of the legislative
measures to be offered at the coming ses-
sion was made. The legislative commit
tee of the party will meet Dean Lewis
of the University of Pennsylvania. Gif-
ford Pinchot and other members Of the
national progressive committee next Tues.
day.