Volume 14 , Issue 50

100 Years Ago Today - 10 December 1912, Tuesday

One hundred years ago, Tuesday, 10 December 2012, we found in The Times dispatch, out of Richmond, Virginia, this front page headline: "No Trafficking With Old Parties." Teddy Roosevelt was demanding fight on straight, progressive lines as he makes address to "Bull Moosers." Former President Theodore Roosevelt said, "No honest man can be in Republican party." He attempt to lure members of New Organization back to fold would be futile.

Chicago, December 9 (1912) -- "Without trafficking or dickering with the old parties, fight to have our platform principles embodied in the laws of Illinois," was the appeal Colonel Roosevelt made tot he newly elected Progressive members of the Illinois Legislature, to whom he delivered his first speech at the Progressive conference, which opened informally and would continue over Wednesday. Besides pleading with the Progressives to stand alone in their fight, the former President criticized the Republican organization and said it was of such a character that "no honest man can be in it."

Formal opening of the conference was not scheduled to take place until Tuesday, but many Progressives, both men and women already are here. The largest single delegation to arrive came from New York on a special train with Colonel Roosevelt. The Colonel was greeted at the railroad station with cheers and shouts of "he can come back."

Colonel Roosevelt said in his talk to the Illinois legislators, "I am very glad to have the chance to come out here and say again that we are in the fight to the end, and that it is folly for the Republicans to waste time in thinking of any attempt to lure us back into the organization that they have made of such character that no honest man can be in it."

"Progressive members of the Legislatures and of Congress have a task of peculiar importance. They should make good as far as possible our platform pledges. progressive members should introduce all measures we promised in the campaign and try as hard as they know how to have them adopted," said Colonel Roosevelt.

Roosevelt continue with, "Our opponents now are making loud professions of the lip-loyalty to Progressive principles, so make them who up or back u. They say most of our measures are unconstitutional. We are the heirs of the Republicanism of Abraham Lincoln and the Republicans who fought in the Civil War. Lincoln's opponents also said he was trying to pull down the Constitution."

Roosevelt then discussed at length the workmen's compensation and eight-hour laws. "I hope that you will put into the laws of Illinois a provision that if the people want certain laws no official, no Governor, no Legislature or court shall have the power to prevent them from obtaining those laws." Seven of the nine members of the national executive committee took part in the deliberations of that body that afternoon and that night. Judge Ben B. Lindsey, of Denver, was unable to come. William Flynn, of Pittsburgh, was expected the next day.

Members present at the meetings were United States Senator Joseph M. Dixon, of Montana, chairman; Miss Jane Addams, Chicago; George Priestley, Oklahoma; Charles Thompson, Vermont; Chauncey Dewey, Illinois; Walter Brown, of Ohio, and George W. Perkins, of New York. Miss Addams would present to the conference the next day report of a subcommittee on a tentative scheme of financing an organization for the Progressive cause.   |  View or Add Comments (0 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

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