The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-08-08
The Great Betrayal

The Great Betrayal
 At. national conference of the party held in Indianapolis, attended by representatives of thirty-seven states, a resolution was unanimously adopted condemning the action of the progressive national committee on June 26, 1916, as an illegal usurpa- ton of authority not conferred upon 1t by the recent convention of the par ty, denouncing it's action as a breach of trust, and repudiating the same in every respect as non-expressive of the party's thought or wishes.
 The conference now in session in Indianapolis is composed, withou. ex- ception, of progressive men and women who are still affiliated with the progressive party. Our delibera- tions have been guided solely by a desire to preserve the party as an fn- strument for the expression of the popular will. and to promote, without interruption. the great aims to which the party is dedicated. V It, is useless to deny or to deceive ourselves as to the grieyous effecf upon the party of the blows which il has sustained through the defectioi VI Ahd1ly OA AtS llSd0cISY .aAo LlIOuSI the betrayal by the national commit tee of the trust confided in it by the party membership. Men whom we have delighted to honor and whom we have rejoiced to follow have no, only abandoned the party's cause but have sought to sacrifice its future and to compromise the dignity of its individual membership by a collusive undertaking with the republican par. ty to deliver our party strength tc the republican presidential ticket.
 The course. of the national commit. tee has been emphatically repudiated in every state where there has beer free discussion and action.
 This conference Is the culmihatins protest of the party against the Urea. sonable attempt to put it out of ex- istence as a national party and to de. liver it's vote to the republican party The progressive party cannot be de. Hvered. The attempt to do so ha. already ,recoiled upon it's authors anG covered them with discredit and con. fusion.
 It is the sense of this conference that the action of the individual pro. gressives on the proficiency should be left to their individual judgment an6 conscience.
 Any effort to dictate the action o1 individual progressives must of ne. cessity fail, and this conference rec. ognizes the capacity and the resolve of every progressive to make up his own mind and to determine his owr course.
 We have considered carefully the question of holding new convention and completing our national ticket The difficulties in the way of this course are at this late date insuper- able. The fact that the party ma. chinery in many states is in the con. trol of servile committeeman who were involved in the scheme to deliv. CT the party to the republicans, the further fact that the campaign is al ready so far advanced, and that more time will be required to assemble the party in convention, all have combin. ed to bring Us to the conclusion thai a second convention of the party th1. year is impracticable.
 The conference has authorized the appointment of a committee and ha: confided to it the duty of taking ap. propriate measures to preserve oul party's existence, and to make vigor. ous electoral contests. This commit. tee will later announce a nationa conference of the party to be held a, some convenient place after the cleo. ton. At this conference ways and means will be considered for the maintenance of our party, and the carrying forward of its great mis- sion.