Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-08-12
ROOSEVELT BEGINS
WESTERN CAMPAIGN
Nominee for Vice President Asks
Progressive and Independent
Support at Chicago.

Chicago, Aug. l2--Franklin ID. Roose-
welt left today on speaking trip that will
take him through fifteen states and ms
far west as the Pacific coast.
Three speeches are on today's program
opening with brief addresses at kenosha
and Racine, Wis, and closing with night
meeting at Milwaukee.
Chicago Aug 12-Franklin ID. Roose-
welt, Democratic nominee for Vice presl-
dent, opened his pariy's national campaign
here last night before an audience which
filed the auditorium and which punctu-
ated his speech with great outbu6s Of
cheering. For hot August night the meet
ing was phenomenal for its size and en-
thusiasm, hundreds of persons being
unable to gain entrance TO the big theatre.
Mr.. Rooscvelt's speech was a direct ap-
peal to Progressive Republicans and in
dependent voters TO line up behind the
Cox-Roosevelt ticket.
The candidate affirmed his purpose in
the campaign trip TO ''go after the pro-
gressive votes" in fifteen states between
Chicago and the Pacific Coast.
First of all, Governor Cox and | be-
lieve that it is the simple duty of the
candidates TO give to as many citizens
as possible IN as many States as possible
an opportunity to see and hear and form
their own impressions of the men they
are TO vote for, said MIR. Roosevelt. I'm
this connection, too II is only frankness
to say that the great majority of the news
papers throughout the country are owned
or controlled by men affiliated with the
Republican Party. Ii is therefore doubly
necessary for us to present our views and
our aims IN person.
Tonight | want TO address myself
particularly to those in this hall who are
not Democrats. The dav is past, except
in the case Of old time, hard-shell poll
ticians, or the case Of few narrowly
preiudiced newspapers, when it is popular
or profitable 10 damn everybody and every
thing connected with the opposition |
speak Of the rank and file OF the Republi-
can party even today with true respect.
but for eight-yes, for twelve years
conflict has been raging within the
party, raging not so much among the
privatcs in the ranks as among those in
high command. In the first eight years
Of this century the Republican party
was in a large part under true leaders,
men who marched with the times, men
who tried 10 interpret the thought Of
the body of the party for the better
governing of the country. From 1905 10
1912 group Of selfish men sought for
their own purposes, with their eyes on
the ground, TO gain the control of the
party machinery You know the result
1T was in this very city that these
men succeeded in their purpose. II was
in this very city that was born the move
ment Of protest that, IN the elections
Of 1912, received the majority of the
votes Of the old Republican party
That vote was gwen to a great Amen
can leader, but IL was even more than
support Of Theodore Roosevelt, the man.
II was the voice of insistence that party
control he taken out of the hands of !
selfish men, of men who had not dis |
covered that the world was moving on. |
To the progressive thought of the /
rank and file Of Republicans | make |
this appeal. Join with US in a sincere
effort 10 help our beloved land in this |
wear OF wears This IS truly fork in |
the road Purge your own army of /
these generals who vacillate between /
naction and retreat. Make possible in
he future a restoration of the Repub-
icanism Of Lincoln and Roosevelt by |
driving to defeat those who were re-
;ponsible for the acts Of this Chicago
Put the ultimate good OF
he Republican party ahead of the dom
nation of this little group Of mlsrep-
-esentative men.
Above all, LET us unite, Democrats,
Independents, from North
md South and East and West, to ex-
,lode the shams of partisan narrowness,
o grasp our true issues, our true prob
ems with broad vision; TO insist on
progress and action, and to work un-
easingly as individuals for the better
nent Of our nation