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Show I PROGRESSIVE PARTY IS BEING THOROUGHLY ORGANIZED In view of the continued efforts of both Republicans and Hemocrats .ill over the country to ereale and pprel the Impression that there is a disposi tlon in Ih'' Progressive ranks to ease upon party activity and in ihe end possibly to agree to some sort of readjustment re-adjustment with the old parties. It may be of interest to set forth m some detail what Is going on the Progrei sive organization. At no time during the last presidential presiden-tial campaign were the members ot the Progressive national committee under any delusions as to the probable outcome They knew, as did every other obsencr of political development develop-ment in the country that it was a practirnl impossibility to perfect a nation wide organization within three months and win a presidential cam paign Under the best conceivable conditions it was a physical impossi billty to effect a proper political organization or-ganization in the 2,400 counties of ithe 48 Btates between AugU8t B. the date of the Progressive national convention con-vention and November election day. Consequently before the votes were counted a call was issued by Chairman Dixon for a meeting of the Progressive national committee on December De-cember K m prepare for the enormous enor-mous work necessanls Involved In readjusting re-adjusting and perfecting the Progres sive organization throughout the count rj At the same time Invitations were sent to a number of Progressive leaders lead-ers through the country to attend an informal conference in New York city to consider plans to be submitted to the national committee It was also arranged to call togeth?r In confer ence with the national committee Progressive Pro-gressive leaders from all the stages for a general discussion of the party and political sltuatiou. The Progressive conference and meeting ol the national committee were held in Chicago on December 10 and 11 A special committee headed by Miss Jane Addams. which had been appointed at the New York conference, confer-ence, had prepared a carefully studied scientific plan of organization and education ed-ucation work which was submitted 'o the national conference and the meet ing of the national committee The nation-wide and enthusiastic character charac-ter of the Chicago conference Is known to every intelligent person in the United States. Even at that time the Republicans, shattered and de moralized by the November election, were doing their utmost to spread tho Insidious suggestion of a possible realignment re-alignment The answer of the Progressive Pro-gressive national conference to thlB suggestion was emphatic and conclusive. conclu-sive. FTom among the 2,000 Progressive Progres-sive delegates at that conference, there came not one word in favor of any course whatever except one of patient. sstematic, thoroughgoing hard organization work in preparation prepara-tion for the campaigns o! 1914 and 1316. The word was "Forward" all along the line. It was not "Fall back," but "Bring up the reserves." The finance committee at once went to work with its subscription list. When the executive committee reassembled reas-sembled in January the chairman of the finance committee was able o report that he had received written I pledges for approximately one-third of the desired sum and had verbal assurances assur-ances thai pit dges would be forthcoming forth-coming for approximately another third This had been accomplished in about three weeks with the holidays Intervening, and without opportunity fairly to commence a general canvass or the country. None of these subscriptions sub-scriptions was for a large amount There had been a tacit understanding in the meeting of the executive committee com-mittee that no large subscription should be sought and, In fact, thai very large subscriptions were not desired de-sired The largest subscription made was for $1 000 It was thought inconi patible with the principle upon which the work was proceedln" to secure the financing of the organisation from a small number of wealthy men. The first objective of all this Is the perfection of a Rlraightout political 'organization In every county and congressional con-gressional district in the United States There are about 2.400 counties coun-ties in the 4S slates and it is the purpose pur-pose of the Progressives lo have a full ticket In the field in each of these count les in the next election, as well as to have a candidate for congress In the field in each of Ihe 435 congres sional districts The organization committee com-mittee will have the permanent services serv-ices of a Dumber of organizers who will travel about among the states assisting as-sisting the state organizations wherever wher-ever possible. The 48 states will lie divided into compact geographical groups Conferences of the national c ommitteemen and state officials of the party will be arranged in each group, at which the organization if fairs of Ihe group Will be considered and plans made for the work. One sin h conference has alrcads been held at St. Paul, attended by delegates from Michigan WtscdbSln Minnesota and the two Dakolas In addition to ihepo conferences state meetings will be arranged for Several state-wide conferences have already been held, notably In Iowa Washington. Idaho and Kansas. The Kansas meeting was made the occasion of the formal birth of the Progressive party for thai state The Progressives having captured cap-tured the control of the Republican machinery went into the last campaign cam-paign as Progressive Republicans Re organization is now proceedings ami the Progressive party before long will have a complete precinct organization throughout the state. The Progressives Progres-sives in California are proceeding to effect a slate-wide organization and here the situation is largely similar to that in Kansas. The Progressives in Pennsylvania are arranging for a great state-wide meeting to be held in Philadelphia on March 13 and 14, al which Colonel Roosevelt will specie In most of the states of the union, Progressive banquets and meetings were held on Lincoln's birthday In several others organization work is proceeding rapidly, including Indiana, Maryland New Mexico. Ohio, Pennsylvania. Penn-sylvania. Michigan, Iowa and others From all these enthusiastic and confident confi-dent reports reach headquarters All this goes to show the line of work to which the Progressive part i committed. The organization stands squarely on the platform adopted at the National convention last August. The experience of tb.2 campaign demonstrated that the principles prin-ciples of that plaifonn are extremely popular and that they cannot be successfully suc-cessfully combatted by either of the old political organizations. The Progressive Pro-gressive platform Is right; the Pro gres8ive party is wholly and enthus' astlcally In accord with that platform There is no division in its ranks such as, marks both the Republican and Democratic parties. Its face is to the future, its watchword is "Forward."' There i6 absolutely no Question thciv is absolutely no talk, among its mi Dl bers of anything except work for tho party, and there is no feeling except confidence In its ultimate success. |