Evening star., 1916-06-07

| CHICAGO. June THE keynote ad-
dress OF the progressive party's national
convention here today, delivered by Ray
mond Robins Of Chicago as temporary
chairman. asserted in vigorous terms:
| l. That the progressives will stand by
the announcement made by the national
committee last January that the party
will join the republicans II the latter
nominates for President a man true to
progressive principles;
2. That the principle. however, is great
er than the party, and If need be the pro-
gressves will go on alone:
| g. That preparedness is the paramount
issue of the campaign, and
! 1. That Theodore Roosevelt is the man
of the hour.
What this country needs now is
man." announced Mr.. Robins. In the
course of his speech he said: Now, as
we are met again in national convention.
there comes to us once more common
| knowledge that in 1912 we sounded forth
a trumpet that shall never call retreat
And we know that we are here to Write
a record that shall witness alike to the
| faint nt-hearted and the skeptical and to
| the great army still faithful to the cause
| that our vision is yet undimmed and that
our standards have not been furled.
Noblest American Heritage.
But the noblest common heritage Of
America is not her natural wealth nor
are her best traditions found in the chron-
| icles Of her commercial greatness. We
may well confess that under other flags,
even under other national ideals. Ameri-
can ingenuity. industry and courage
might have achieved greater material
| welfare for all her people, and with her
vast natural resources she might well
| have done away with that grinding pow
| erty that is now unknown in many less
favored lands. We may take just pride
, in the lesser achievements OF our people
in developing the physical resources of a
continent, but not there lies the true
greatness of America.
Selfish business and politics never
listed in the assets of America her most
valuable possession, the priceless heritage
| which alone is worth the sacrificial cost
| of preparedness to defend against the
| world her democratic soul In this time
| it should be all too plain that stand
alone among the great nations not domi-
mated by the ideal of Caesar. We have
our ruthless master men, confident Of
| their right and ability to rule their fell
lows, but they do not rule US yet.
1--WE gather to determine our program
to meet the practical needs for national
adtion in this time of havoc and horror
| in other lands And it is we'll that we
should approach our task with the vision
| that no worse day. with havoc and horror
| in our midst, shall be known to US or to
| the coming generations and that we shall
wisely plan to preserve in peace our great
inheritance.
Program of Preparedness.
"A competent program for national
meet the social, economic and spiritu-
al needs of the people. Mere military
preparedness alone is inadequate for
the safeguarding of the nations life
even in time of war. The final issue of
the titanic struggle that now convulseS
| Europe will be decided in the homes
| workshops. fields and laboratories Of
| the peoples now at war. Any program
for national security in time of war
| that does not involve social and eco
nomic security in time Of peace is false
to the needs of the nations life and
arouses suspicion as to the good faith
or intelligence of its advocates
| The great nations now at war have
developed organized cooperative
industry, capable of economic produc-
| ton. unprecedented in the history of
| international commerce. To meet these
new economic weapons in the markets
Of the world, American industrial life
| must undergo complete reorganization.
| The old wastes must be eliminated and
| the old methods transformed. Ameri-
ca must be equipped to hold her share
of the worlds trade. The old log-roll-
| ing devices Of special interests using
| tariff schedules as public commits
| sion for private plunder are as de-
| structive to national welfare as they
are intolerable to the national con-
science. We must speedily prepare TO
deal with these problems, particularly
! a nf ln s.-tF q.
non-partisan machinery of government.
lfunctioning for the commercial ad-
vantage of all the people
| we believe that the need and op-
portunity of the time is such that per-
sonal differences. partisan bitterness
and local prejudices should be sur
| rendered to serve the nations highest
good We should not be parted by
mere names, however dear. nor by past
lresentments, however justified.
No Surrender of Principles.
| But we should solemnly warn all
those Of an easy and accomm odating
political virtue that we will not sur
render principle nor make unworthy
compromise to gain a meaningless and
| selfish political victory. We would
rather face possible defeat fighting for
our cause than to seek assured victory
through moral treason to those high
principles and heroic souls that com
bined to make us the second party of
| this nation in 1912. The 100000 vot-
ers who followed our leader and es-
poused our cause can be augmented to
a majority perhaps more easily under
united banners, but if need be the
progressive standard will go forward
Ialone. We cannot believe that a rule or
! ruin faction will dominate the political
| machinery of the historic party of Lin
coin and that they Will prefer personal
| defeat and national degradation to ac-
| ceptance of the foremost leadership of
| the nation. But in this day and hour
| it should be made plain that the choice
of the people will be upon our heads
| I'VE are ready to keep full and gem
| erous faith with the declarati ton of our
| national committee in January of the
| present year. But If our faith shall
| meet no response and we alone stand
| ready to meet the demands upon the
| patriotism of American political lead
| ership, we shall not shirk the task
There are worse things than temporary
defeat for great principles of human
| justice and moral truth.
| For our part we feel that in this
solemn hour. no motive of personal in
| terests or party advantage will be toll
| Grated to thwart the awakened con-
science and intelligence of the Amer
| lean people
Americanism and Preparedness.