The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-06-13
BRYAN IN BACK SEAT
AT CONVENTION
(Continued from page u

for kidnapping the progressive party's
four million "fatherless" voters under
full Roadway yesterday, showed signs
of difficulty today. Cautious old line
democratic leaders, headed by Sena-
tor Taggart, succeeded in holding up
the quick move planned By Chairman
McCombs and others to bring the
leaders Of the progressive convention
from Chicago to st. Louis immedi-
ately. The matter was too important
for instant decision, Taggart said. and
won several others to his view that
the platform should be drafted before
the progressives were invited Urging
that the prOgressives should be asked
here to offer suggestions before the
platform Is completed. the tnitiators
of the kidnapping scheme went ahead
lining up support today. Many big
democrats, as fast as they reached
the city, were enlisted in the move
ment Secretary Of Agriculture Hous-
ton was one Of these. The party has
been working out many OF the ideas
advanced by the mogressives four
years ago, he said, and there was
room for the progressives in the
party.
Homer S. Cummings, the national
committees choice for national chair
man, joined Chairman McCombs n
advocacy of immediate, definite ac-
ton, as opposed to delay and only y
general invitation. The last named
course would provide only for certain
platform declarations intended to be
attractive to progressives. 1t would
not include the granting Of hear
ing to progressive leaders.
Urey Woodson, Kentucky national
committeeman, joined the forces
urging definite action.
"Why not?" said Woodson. TITS d
long call from the republican plat
form, adopted at Chicago. to what the
progressives stand for. We come
bearer giving them what they want
Most bull moosers would be good
democrats merely by changing their
name
I'VE ought to get the rank and
file of the progressive party" said
Cato Sells, Texas committeeman. 1T
appears the party organization NAV
go out of existence. There Is intense
| bitterness over the way the members
were treated by certain of their lead
ers. This bitterness is most acute.
among those who believed in the
1912 platform. There's chance for
these in our party"
w. w. Marsh, Iowa national COM
mitteeman, said he wanted to see
plans worked out for taking over
! the progressives.
Opposition to the plan has grown
out of fear that 1t would bring big
radical element into the party that
would be hard to handle so the would
be kidnapers changed today. They
say the fear is unfounded.
! "If the democratic party organiza-
| ton is to be more important than the
party membership" said one OF the
| leaders, then we haven't anything to
offer the progressives, that's true.
/ That is why they left the republican
party and that is why their new party
! has been wrecked. If we're going to
| invite them in let US not do it under
| false pretenses Let's bring them in
| on a real understanding of what We
propose to do. The first step in that
direction would be to have as many
of them as possible here while we
work out our own platform and PRO-
gram"
The UnsoIved Mystery.
TBv George Martin, United Press
Staff Correspondent
ST. LOUIS, Mo-, June 13.-Havins
noted the Autographs. the reporte;