The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-01-11
= by Associated Press.)


Chicago, Jan. iI.--George w.
Perkins, at dinner given by him
to members of the Progressive Ma
tional committee last night, on the
eve OF it's meeting to prepare for the
coming national campaign, answered
what he termed the persistent
charge that our leaders have aban-
doned their cause by pointing to
the fact that at the meeting tomor-
row practically every State will be
represented by a national committee
man from the Progressive party, all
with. the. determined. purpose. to
serve their country's interests.
"As is always the case in great
moral struggles" Mr.. Perkins said,
1--WE have had many discourage
ments, but now on the eve of the
meeting of our national committee
j am sure l voice the sentiment of
every man present and the thousands
of loyal men and women whom he
represents, when ! say that we are
glad we engaged in the struggle;
that we have accomplished vast
deal OF good for our country and,
God willing, will accomplish vast
deal more
"To the constant and persistent
charge that our leaders have aban-
doned their cause, that our party is
a mere paper organization, that we
have failed and have surrendered to
the men who forced the fight upon
us, we answer that at tomorrow's
meeting practically every State in
this Union will be represented by
national committeeman from the
Progressive party; that 80 per cent
of the men who led the fight in 1912
will be here in person or represented
at tomorrow's meeting, all with one
determined purpose, viz. TO use their
best judgment, expressed through
the highest patriotism, to serve their
country's broadest interests.
"Our country now entering the
preliminary stages of a great ma
tional campaign. II is essentially
time for the broadest and highest or
der OF craftsmanship and patriotism.
The questions to be settled by our
people and the leader to be selected
to guide the .destinies of this coun-
try in the next momentous four
years are of the utmost Importance
to our present and future welfare.
At no time since the civil war has
our country faced problems of such
vast magnitude as those that will
be faced by the next administration.
The results of the present war are
bound to open up a new world, eco
nomically, religious, patriotically
Our country needs leadership, lead
ership with vision, courage, patriot
ism, in order to reach wise solu-
tion CT the problems confronting us.
"The Democratic party has utter
| ly failed in vision, in courage, in
patriotism. At its hands we are now
enjoying prosperity through acci-
dent and preparing for adversity
through neglect. At its hands our
national honor is sullied at home
and degraded abroad.
"Thc leaders of the Republican
party are speechless in our country's
grea. acrisis. Only a few days ago
they met at Washington just as Cop-
gress was converting for one. of the
most important sessions in the his
tory of our country. and the men
who claim to represent the great.
old time-honored Republican party
the men who claim to represent the
hundreds of thousands of patriotic.
forward-looking members. of. that
party, apparently could not think of
a thins to, say to the country.
Finding as we do at this hour Of
+. crisis In the affairs of the world the
so-called leaders of the Democratic