Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-02-15
Also Advocates Uniform Laws on Divorce and
 Marriage.
INVITE WILSON TO r ATTEND CONVENTION
Conference of Progressives at Atlanta Decides fer Uniform Divorce and Marriage Laws and Pledges
 Support to President.

Atlanta, Ga, Feb. 14.-Southern Progressives here to attend a meeting preliminary to the national confer ence in St. Louis tonight heard the keynote speech of John NJ. Parker of New Orleans, in which he stated that the Progressives should endorse na- tional prohibition and continue eff 1 forts in behalf of principles adopted in 1912.
 "A party to endure must be larger 1 than any man or set of men, he said. 'lts principles must be worth fight ing for; it's policies controlled by all it's members, and it's financial sup port by the hard-earned dollars of the many. not the financial power of few men,"
 Several Southern states were rep resented at the meeting here, which Progressive leaders have been plan ming for more than month. MT. Parker stated that it made lit tie difference whether the proposed name of Liberal party" was adopted at the St. Louis gathering, as the principles of the party would remain the same.
 
 insistently emphasized the importance an awakened conscience has forced the passage, by the present admin { istration, of more wholesome, human welfare legislation and more legisla- tion for the benefit of our agricultur- ists than have been put on the statute books in the last 50 years. "When the old parties realized the Progressive platform was exactly what it meant and not plank to get into office on, they became panic stricken and fought with every means at their disposal"
 Among other principles Mr. Parker said Progressives should stand for were uniform laws on divorce. mar riage, property, corporations and hu- man welfare; opposition to pork bar rel" legislation; legislation giving the president the power to veto any part of a bill without disagreeing to the entire measure, allowing travelling salesmen to vote by mail and com mon sense" methods against piling up of great fortunes.
 Invite Wilson to Speak.
 After the conference here today, at which plans were laid for the South to be well represented at the conven- tion in St. Louis on April 12, Matthew Hale, chairman Of the national Pro- gressive committee, announced that President Wilson and United States Senator-elect Hiram Johnson of Cali fornia would be invited to address the St. Louis convention. The president will be invited as liberal Demo- crat" and Senator-elect Johnson as a liberal Republican" MT. Hale ex- plained.
 i Resolutions were adopted approving the speech of John M. Parker, late candidate for the vice presidency, and
 series of resolutions adopted de- clared that the St. Louis convention
 should consider the subjects men, tioned by MT. Parker and among
 others those of naturalization of pub
 lie schools and public ownership o1
 public utilities.
 Other resolutions pledged the dele
 gates to stand behind the president l 'as good Americans in the present in
 ternational situation" and urged tha
 Progressives in the North, East ant
 West stand by their contract O
 1912" and help build up the Progress
 sive party in the South. | The Brazil nut tree does not begin
 to bear fruit until 50 years old.