Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 291, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 December 1916 — Leading Progressives Ask Voice In Republican Party. [ARTICLE]

Leading Progressives Ask Voice In Republican Party.

Chicago, Dec. 5. —Overtures to the republican party for a voice in the management of the party’s affairs and for progressive support were made today in a statement which followed a conference of Chester H. Rowell, of California; Gifford Pinchot, Raymond Robins, James R. Garfield, William Allen White and Harold L. Ickes. Permanent progressive advance through the democratic party is impossible, the statement says in announcing the national conference of progressives and progressive republicans, which" is to be called within four months in the hope of bringing about reorganization of the republican party. The first step toward providing progressive representation in the party, it was suggested, could best be brought about by giving the present republican campaign committee the functions of the executive committee. “The result of the election has shown that the only hope of victory for any political party in America lies in securing and retaining support of the progressive voters,’ says the statement. “We welcome the enactment of progressive measures by any party. But we are firm in' the conviction that in the existing two party systems, constructive progressivism must be secured through the republican party. But to gain either of these ends ? the republican party must'be thoroughly progressivized in organization, in leadership and in principles. “We propose to join with other progressives in calling a national conference of progressives and progressive republicans to be held during the next four months. Such a conference might well take steps toward reformulating progressive principles and considering how to put them into effect. “An immediate practical step toward progressive representationwould ■'be to give the present campaign committee in the party organization the functions of the executive committee of the party. This committee consists of ten regular republicans and six former progressives. This would give the progressives votes as well as voices in the party council. A demand from the proposed conference for such representation in the republican organization could not be ignored by any who are seriously desirous of party success and nothing less than this could be accepted as a first step toward’securing the confidence of the progressive voters of the country. “The progressives are not suppliants nor penitents. They are American citizens seeking justice and ready to fight for it. The only harmony that is desirable or possible is the harmony of justice.”