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TIME TO MAKE GOOD(Ernest Untermann.)Just after the organization of the new Progressive party, Mr. William Allen White wrote a personal letter to the editor of the American Magazine. A part of this letter was published in the November issue of that magazine, under the “Pilgrim’s Scrip.” In this letter, Mr. White declared that Mr. Roosevelt was “a mere incident to this new party”; that “Roosevelt is not the Progressive party”; that “the fighting men in the Progressive ranks of both parties are in this thing and mean business and 110 man on earth can divert them.”“The Progressive party is here to stay as the definitely radical party of this nation, and if any man tries to divert it to his personal ends, so much the wprse for that man. The Progressive party is here to stay and I am satisfied it is going to have a place, perhaps not a winning place, but definite in American politics for the next thirty years during a great stirring movement in our country, a movement to change the environment of poverty so that whatever of poverty is due to environment may be removed. That is the meaning and core of the whole Progressive movement.”Thus wrote Mr. White in the summer of 1912. Two years have passed away since that time. We have had a Progressive governor in California and West Virginia, Progressive judges in various states, Progressive congressman in Washington. Working people, struggling for their lives against “the environment of poverty,” have been clubbed, shot, burned, jailed, fined, boycotted and blacklisted. But the Progressive party, as an organization, has not lifted one hand to speak and act for the poor, although a few individuals, powerless to change the party’s policy, have protested here and there.T\ A ATt/r IThe chief financier of the Progressive party is still George Perkins, the aspiring corporation man. Theodore Roosevelt has made it known that any one who wants to put Perkins out of the Progressive party must put him out, also. In spite of all the emphatic proclamations to the effect that the Progressives of the Empire State have done just this very thing and have practically abdicated in favor of Stand-pat Republican bosses. Other Progressives in other states are preparing to do the same thing. Governor Johnsonin California has gone on record,%through the mouth of his principal sponsors, against the Universal Eight-Hour law initiated by the Socialist j party. One of the most reactionary machines of the Democratic party in Louisiana has joined hands with the i Progressives of that state. The Pro-gessives of Milwaukee and of the state of Wisconsin have long forgotten I that they are supposed to be a part of that “great stirring movement” which is destined to free the poor. Everywhere we see the leading Progressives making their peace with the system that creates poverty and with the bosses that benefit from the poverty of the masses. Nowhere has any part of the Progressive party adopted an economic program that would make an end of the “environment of poverty.”Mr. Roosevelt is openly striving to fuse the Progressive party with the standpat Republicans and to become the presidential nominee of tlie United Reactionaries. It is now time for Mr. White and for “the fighting men in the Progressive ranks” of this “definitely radical party” to make good their boast and to show' that the attempt to divert them from their course will really be “so much the worse” for Mr. Roosevelt.arnvrin VTWH WHPDS
Newspaper Details
Everett Washington Socialist
Everett, Washington, US
Thu, Aug 13, 1914
Page 1
Full Page
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USA 04 Jul 2021
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