Volume 14 , Issue 29

15 July 1912, 3rd Party of Utah Calls State Meeting

It was to be a Saturday, July 27, 1912, that Roosevelt's Mass Convention would be held at Provo, Utah. As The Salt lake Tribune reported 15 July 1912, Officers of the Roosevelt Club of utah had issued an official call for a state mass convention to be held in the opera house at Provo, Saturday forenoon, 27 July 1912, at 11 o'clock.

It was at this organization of the national progressive party in Utah would be perfected and delegates chosen to represent utah at the national progressive convention called by the Roosevelt forces for August 5 in Chicago. The second state convention of "progressives" would be held, in Ogden in September, where the new party proposed to nominate a full state ticket, including presidential electors.

This was considered the first direct move toward the birth of the third party in Utah that was the outcome of that Saturday night meeting of the Roosevelt club leaders. They outlined their plans after listening to the report and recommendations of the organization and convention committee appointed at a meeting July 3rd. It was decided that the Roosevelt club's work should cease when the mass meeting convened and that all future work, policies of the new party would be the outgrowth of the Provo convention.

The convention call was signed by Wesley K. Walton, chairman; Harry S. Anderson, first assistant secretary, and the following county committeemen of the Roosevelt Club of Utah. The "Text of Call" for the convention was as follows:

"To the people of utah, regardless of past party affiliations --

1. Who believe that the time has come for organization of a national progressive party.
2. Who believe in the right and capacity of the people of our country to rule themselves.
3. Who believe insist upon the right to choose the candidates for whom they shall vote.
4. Who recognize the evils of the boss system that has perverted the functions of our political parties and the ends of popular government.

A mass convention is hereby called to meet at the opera house, Provo city Utah, at eleven o'clock a.m., July 27, 1912, to choose delegates from Utah to attend the convention to be held at Chicago on the fifth day of August, 1912, for the purpose of nominating candidates to be supported for the positions of president and vice president of the United States. To organize a progressive party for the State of utah, and to transact such other business as may properly come before the convention."

Apportionment Fixed

Each county was requested to send delegates whose votes in said convention would be accredited as follows:

Beaver, 6; Boxelder, 15; Cache, 27; Carbon, 6; Davis, 11; Emery, 7; Garfield, 4; Grand, 2; Iron, 5; juab, 11; Kane, 3; Millard, 7; Morgan, 13; Piute, 6; Rich, 3; Salt lake, 125; San Juan, 1; Sanpete, 21; Sevier, 12; Summit, 3; Tooele, 8; Unitah, 5; Utah, 42; Wasatch, 9; Washington, 5; Wayne, 1; Weber, 31.

The progressives in each county were urging, requesting to take immediate steps to elect delegates to this convention, and to perfect their county and precinct organizations.   |  View or Add Comments (0 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

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