Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-12-03
MOOSE PARTY TO.
REMAIN IN FIELD
Conference Decides organiza-
tion Necessary for Realiza-
ion of Progressive Ideals.
1916 FIGHT Is AN ISSUE
Speakers Urge Roosevelt and johnson
as Standard-Bearers, but Pol
icy Is Unsettled.

! Chicago. Ill, Dec. S.-"Progressive
principles are permanent and now
more than ever IT is evident that the
progressive party is the necessary or
| gan for their realization"
/ This is the concluding sentence in a
formal statement issued last night by
the progressive national executive
/ committee following an all-day con-
/ ference attended by party leaders
/ from all parts of the United States.
The statement set forth the deter
/ mination of the party leaders to con-
tinue their organization with the ex-
pectation of being a factor in the 1916
presidential campaign.
Leaders looked far enough ahead to
provide for a meeting of the national
committee a year hence in order to
make arrangements for the party's ma
tional convention in the summer OF
1916.
Urge Roosevelt and johnson.
Speakers in the conference repeat
edly urged the selection of Theodore
Roosevelt and Hiram w. Johnson,
candidates for president and vice pres
ident in 1912, as the standard bearers
in the next campaign.
Outside OF the conference-room, how
ever. some of the prominent progress
sives suggested the possibility that
the 1916 convention might indorse the
candidates Of one of the other par
ties, provided they measured up to the
ideals of the party.
Endorsement of President Wilson
was considered possible II the republi-
cans nominated a presidential candi-
date regarded by the progressives as
reactionary. The possibility of a dem
ocratic alliance was suggested Incl !
dentally several times but was not
given serious consideration.
Slight G. o. p. Merger.
Throughout the days discussion !
none urged a return to the republican j
party. Progressives unanimously I
seemed of the opinion that the repub- |
lican party did not offer fertile ground !
for their principles.
The formal statement-fssuedb BY the /
national executive committee follows |
in full:
The executive committee of the |
progressive party at a fully attended |
meeting today heard reports as to gen. 4
eral conditions and as TO the state of
the organization work throughout the |
country. Ninety-one representative /
progressives from thirty-four states /
were present.
'It was found that in the thirty
seven states where the progressive |
party had tickets in the field at the
last election it polled an aggregate of
more than 1,75O,OO0 votes. Particu-
larly encouraging reports of increased
progressive votes were received from
southern states, notably Louisiana and
Georgia.
Organization Kept Intact
1T was the unanimous Judgment of
the committee that the progressive or
ganization and campaign of education
should be continued on the lines here
tofore followed. To that end the COM
mittee provided that the progressive
national committee shall be called to
meet not later than Jan. Is, 1916, to
fix the time and place for holding the
national convention of the progress
sive party and to transact such other
business as may. at that time. come
come before IT incidental to the presi-
Dental election of 1916.
The Industrial depression and the
consequent reaction against the demo
CTdllC IdTlH Was undoubtedly Ine IS
sue which primarily determined the
results of the recent cleo
tions.
Both the republican and democrat
ic parties have passed tariffs by the
old method OF log-rolling and the peo-
pie have now successfully repudiated
them both.
Take Tariff from Politics."
'As long as the tariff is made In
politics and log-rolling there can be
no stability of Industrial conditions
and business can have no peace. The
way TO provide stable Industrial condi-
tons and business peace is to accept
he principle of protection as a fixed ma
.ionaI policy and take the tariff out
1f politics.
The progressive party specifically
declared this doctrine in its platform {
,f 1912 and pointed out that the only I
way to take the tariff out OF politics 6
vas by the creation of a permanent ex-
pert nonpartisan tariff commission. {
I'VE call attention 10 the necessity I
Il prompt action on the Murdoch tar 4
n commission bill introduced in May,
9I3 q
Progressive principles are perma- c
tent, and now more than ever IL is evil I
lent that the progressive party is the 9
90 %