The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1913-03-14
Member of Progressive Ma
tional Executive Commit
tee Thinks California's
Governor Is the Man
PEOPLE OF NATION
RIPE FOR REFORMS
Recent Presidential Cam
paign Was Great Adver-
tisernent for Golden State
CALL BUREAU.
SACRAMENTO HOTEL,
Sacramento, March 13.
by GEORGE A. VAN SMITH

by GEORGE A. VAN SMITH
Especial Dispatch to The CallD
If for any reason Theodore Roose-
welt is not available FOR the progressive
party's nomination for the presidency
in 1916, party sentiment will make
Governor Hiram w. johnson a most
formidable candidate for that honor.
This is one OF several interesting
political opinions given to The Call
today by George w. Perkins of New
York, member of the progressive ma
tional executive committee and one of
the progressive campaign managers be-
fore and after the republican national
convention last year
INTERESTING POLITICAL FIGURE
Mr.. Perkins has become one of the
most interesting figures in American
politics.
He regards political party as a
piece of machinery designed to accom-
plish given purpose.
He believes in changing political ma
chinery to fit the demands of the times
as he believes in changing the me-
chanical equipment of a manufacturing
plant to meet changing trade condi-
tons.
Moreover, he is not 1afraid to say that
he believes just tllat.x
|. Applying this belief specifically Mr..
Perkins said today that In his opinion
the republican party had no future and
that an attempt to hold the reorganiza-
tion convention advocated by Senator
Root and other republican leaders
would involve an initial confession of
its unfitness to cope with modern con-
ditions
PREPARING FOR NEXT ELECTION
Not as a matter of belief but as a
statement of fact Mr. Perkins saidsth
the progressive party would be ready
to participate in the next election in
virtually every state and in the next
national election in every state in the
union.
The progressive party" said Mr..
Perkins. will be ready TO participate
in the next national election in every
state in the union. Education is bring
ing government closer to the people
and properly so. The people are en-
titled to larger share in government
because they are better equipped to
accept its responsibilities.
Our national convention will be con-
stituted OF delegates chosen by the
people at direct primaries The next
president will be nominated and
elected by the people. They have found
out that they can not get what they
want under the old system.
II am in the progressive party be-
cause from my association with cor
porations and business I came to be-
lieve that we must have some national
regulation of those things. The old
policies are played out. They do not
fit conditions.
THE republican party has no future.
1t has missed every point. Why. IL they
held the convention proposed by Sena-
tor Root the first thing they would
be compelled to do would be to confess.
The adoption of the proposed new ap-
portionment plan would in itself be a
confession
In reply to direct question, Mr..
Perkins said that in the event that
Colonel Roosevelt were not available
for nomination in 1915 Governor john
son would be "a formidable candi-
date"
The geographical consideration
would not initiate against him." said
Mr. Perkins. "The people of this coun-
try are getting closer together The
newspapers and the telegraph are
making us all neighbors. We can sit
in our offices In New York and tele-
phone to our friends in California
PROGRESSIvIsM BOOSTS STATE
II am sure that the people of Cali
fornia have no adequate idea of the
advertising this state received from
the campaign made by Governor John
son and the progressive accomplish
ments of government In this state. The
situation in the east was different from
that here in California. There. for the
most part. we had nothing in the way
OF a nucleus for party organization in
any state.
For instance, in New York we did
not feel like intrusting the organiza-
ton of progressive party to Mr..
Barnes.
$50 organization work has been go
ing on, and as we get farther from
the election we come to realize more
fully what that campaign meant.
Something like 100000 votes were
pried loose from somewhere. They
were not pried loose because the
people liked the face of Governor
Johnson or the pungency of some
speech by Mr. Roosevelt.
How much that vote meant may be
-