The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-06-12
Progressive Leader Says a Party Candidate Will Make the Race and Fight to the End
NEVER A HOPE OF AN ENDORSEMENT
 FOR REPUBLICAN
Says 95 Per Cent of Pro- gressives Favored PrOhi-
 bition, Though Against
 Party Plank on Subject

Party Plank on Subject
 George S. O'Bear of Birmingham, for years one of the most enthusiastic and consistent bull moose party men in Alabama, returned yesterday from Chi cago, where he Vas deelgate to the progressive convention.
 Everything is so much in the air to say about the situation,' said Mir. O'Bear last night, but I am firmly convinced of one thing, and that is Roosevelts action means a walkover for Wilson in November.
 Tn spite of the reports which havs been sent out about compromises with the republicans and all that sort of rot, there was never the slightest chance for a compromise on republican can didate The convention of the progress sives was practically unanimous on that The progressives are progress sives from principle and it is natural ly hard for those -old line republican politicians who are out only for spells to understand that. The Chicago pa pers were full of talk of compromise. but there was nothing to it. We knew what we wanted. We stood for certain principles and we stand for them yet.
 PUT ANOTHER MAN OUT
 eff Roosevelt decides finally not to run the progressive committee will meet and nominate another man like Governor Johnson, of California, and he will run it out. As for the progress sive committees indorsing Hughes, there is not chance.
 T talked with men from all over the United States and they would be indignant even at the suggestion of such thing. They are down on the republicans and will never treat with them. You may rest assured that there will be strong progressive can- didate in the field and in my opinion his presence means a Walkoyer for Wilson.
 That however, is merely incidental We are going to fight for what we think is right. There are not more than two men on the Alabama pro- gressive delegation who do not fee as I do about this and they are mer who think more really of the pic counter .1han theySdo of what the pro gressiveSparty stands for.
 ROOSEVELT A MYSTERY
 "We don't understand Roosevests ac- tion, of course. None of the delegates with whom l talked. could understand it. It was like thunderclap Per- haps he will explain satisfactorily later, but if he still declines to run our committee has been called to meet June "A when we will put out another candidate to make the fight.
 T am just fresh from the. convention felt its temper; l saw it's enthusiasm think 1 know how the delegates felt and I want to tell you that I honestly believe that convention would have in dorsed Wilson before It would have in dorsed any man that could have beer offered by the republicans. There was not even the remotest thought of casting our lot with the republicans. Our con- vention, in fact, did pay very fine tribute to Bryan when he was present It was a very graceful thing, and i, was done because he was looked upor as an honest mana man with the cour- age of his convictions. And Mr. Bryar showed he appreciated It. too. .
 FAVOR PROHIBITION
 And l want to say word about the progressive convention, and the prohibi tion question. When the resolution in dorsing prohibition came before the con vention for vote there were only S6 votes cast in favor of putting prohibition 1T the platform and my vote was the only one from Alabama in favor of this plank
 Immediately afterward the questor was put to the convention to find how the delegates personally stood on tn, question. The chair asked that those rist who, although they might not favor put ting it in the platform, were in favor o! prohibition personally. Fully 95 per cen of the delegates rose to their feet.
 'It was the most enethusiastic conven ton l have ever attended, much more so in fact than the progressive conven tion of four years ago. There was tht greatest unanimity among the delegate. on the questions that were up. It was IT remarkable contrast to the republican convention, and Senator Borah himsel told us he had come over to our conven tion to- get a little enthusiasm as every thing was so cold among the regulars.
 While it may not have been parlia mentary, a delegate from Michigan cam' nearer expressing the sentiment of tn, progressive convention than anyone els when he said: Let's send word to tn, republican compromisers to go to h. ,
 Among the Alabama progressive dele gates who returned yesterday with MT O'Bear were H. H. Snider of Birming ham, Dr. Foreman of Attalla, Dr.. Cros of Gadsden, Mir. Dodd of Boaz and MT Garrett of Pell City.