The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-03-14
COLONEL ROOSEVELT DESCRIBES
ESSENTIALS FOLLOWED BY
PRoGRESslVEs.
HONESTY MUST PREVAIL
ave Intend to Realize the New Free
dom for Which This Nation Strives,
formation Is the Keynote" Declares
Former President

Philadelphia, March 13.--Charging
the need of thorough organization for
studying and securing ideals on which
the platform of the progressive party
was based, former President Theodore
Roosevelt addressed an audience to-
night which crowded the Metroplf-
tan opera house. The meeting
marked the close of the first day OF
a two days session of the first an
nual progressive conference of the
state of Pennsylvania, which has as
an aim the perpetuation of the party.
Mr.. Roosevelt said in part;
The Progressive party has been
founded primarily to render social and
industrial service. This means. of
course. that there must be clean poll
tics. The first requisite in any
movement for any species of better
ment in this country must be hon
esty
"1'h most characteristic, the most
essential and the most original form
of work we are undertaking Is the
work of the progressive service. We
intend to realize the new freedom for
which this nation strives, by social
research, in which information is he
translation of the knowledge thus ao-
quired into action by political or
ganization In which service Is the
watchword. The progressive service
branch of our party activities is de-
voted to social research in organized
efficient shape, and is endeavorng to
correlate it with the acts of law
making bodies and the needs to the
public.
our party is not IN power; but 1t
is our duty to formulate public opin-
ion so that it shall insist on action
along the lines we indicate. We
recognize the urgent need of strength
ening our party by means of organi-
zatlon, of extension of the machinery.
but we recognize with equal empha-
sis that machinery while imperatively
necessary, Is of use only If treated as
a practical means of securing applied
realism. The progressive service Is
organized because our party for the
first time in the history of any great
party In this country, recognizes that
the party organization can best be
by continuous, organized
party work for definite aims and
ideals. Our headquarters. national
and state. are to be open all the year
around, so that men and women tfor
women and men stand on absolute
equality in our partly can meet to
discuss political issues and social and
economic issues and to plan for put
ting a little further In advance the
outposts of progress
Il wish to congratulate you men in
Pennsylvania upon the fight the pro-
gressive party Is making in the legis-
lature to achieve its purpose and JUS
tify It's existence. All your proposed
laws are good; the primary law, for
instance. and the corrupt practices
act. But peculiar Importance at
taches to the three acts proposed for
regulation of child labor. for regulat
Ing the employment of women, and
for creating q minimum wage for
both women and children The un-
der payment of wage earners Is one
of the worst evils Of our present in
dustral system, and it Is not only an
evil in itself, but 1t Is at the bottom
of the sweatshop problem.
What | have said applies no less
to the Womens labor act 1t Is
wicked not to regulate the working
hours and factory conditions of wom-
en- who are compelled to earn their
living.
THE progressive party was founded
primarily to meet the great awak
ening Of conscience which we have
seen damn people In the last few
years. Thoughtful men and women
have grown to realize that 1t Is I'M
possible that either our present po-
litical or our present industrial condt-
tions shall continue unchanged If the
republic itself Is to live and prosper
government is Incompatible with
dishonest government and a political
democracy and a business oligarchy
cannot permanently exist in the same
country side by side'