The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-03-14
TO. STUDY IDEALS
Col. Roosevelt Urges Scrutiny
of Progressive Principles.
Primary Consideration Social
and Industrial Betterment.

Philadelphia, March 14.-Urging the
need of thorough organization for
] studying and securing the ideals on
| which the platform of the Progressive
party was based. former President
Roosevelt last night addressed an au-
dience which crowded the Metropoli-
tan opera house.
The meeting marked the close or the
| first day of two days session or the
| first annual Progressive conference OF
the state of Pennsylvania The vari-
GUS policies set forth in the nauonai
platform of the national Progressive
party were discussed by speakers.
Members of the electoral college OF
| this state who voted for Roosevelt for
president and the leaders of the WASH
! ington party who conducted the cam
paign for him, are the leaders in the
movement. which has as an aim the
perpetuation of the party.
1t was decided, after considerable
discussion at the afternoon session
that the executive committee or state
council of the league shall be compos-
ed of the electors and others selected
by them, two members from each SEN
atorial district, with an extra member
from districts which include more than
one county.
Colonel Roosevelt, Dean william Dra-
per Lewis, of the University of Penn
sylvania law school. and the Rev. Geo.
L. Perrin, of Massachusetts, in their
addresses laid stress on the educational
side of the work to be accomplished
and the acquiring of social and in
dustrial facts on which to base the
necessity of proposed reforms. Intro
ducing Colonel Roosevelt, Dean Lewis
said:
I'VE have met here tonight to listen
to the man who is the leader in the
most wonderful awakening of the in
dividual and group conscience OF mod
ern times. There are few who doubt
that he has done more than any one
man to arouse the conscience of the
people. He is a great personal force
making for better things
Colonel Roosevelt said in part:
For Social Betterment.
1.-THE Progressive party has been
founded primarily to render social and
industrial service. This means, of
course that there must be clean pol
rotten business and rotten conditions
generally. Fhe first requisite in any
movement for any species of better
ment in this country must be honesty
I'VE are endeavoring to bring to the
work of social research the four funda-
mentals of accuracy, impartiality, or
der and. finally, a spirit in which fer
vent, cool headed zeal, dispassionate-
ness and kindly good will are all
united. Remember always that we are
not engaged merely in investigation
without action. We insist that research
must precede intelligent action; but we
seek to apply our knowledge as rapidly
as we gain it; the research and the
translation of the research into action
go hand-in-hand. s-.
"Our party is not IN power; it is not
in office; but 1t is our duty to formu-
late public opinion and prepare it so
that it shall insist on action along the
lines We indicate. We recognize the
urgent need of Strengthening OUR party
by means of organization, of extension
of tie machinery; but we recognize
with equal emphasis that machinery,
while imperatively necessary, is of use
only if treated as a practical means
of securing applied realism.
''The Progressive party was founded
primarily to meet the great awaken
ing of conscience which We have seen
in the American people during the last
few years. Thoughtful men and wom-
en- have grown to realize that it is i'm
possible that either our present politi-
cc-l or our present Industrial conditions
shall continue unchanged if the republic
itself is to live and prosper