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The Progressive Party was formed in 1912 when Theodore Roosevelt ran against
William Howard Taft for president of the United States. Taft represented machine
politics and had a decided conservative world-view. The Progressives were
activists already working for women's suffrage, labor rights, a living wage,
conservation of our natural resources, election reforms, safe working
conditions, tax reform, an end to child labor and a start to Native American
citizenship.
Among the first progressive leaders were: Jane Addams, the founder
of Hull House, one of the first social workers in the US, peace activist and a
founder of the NAACP; Robert La
Follette, a lively, forward thinking senator from Wisconsin, Harold Ickes, Chairman of the Cook County Progressive Party, 1929-1914; member of the Illinois State Committee, 1915-1916; member of the Progressive National Committee and National Executive. He worked hard to create many of our national parks.
Henry Wallace , former U.S. Vice President, and our last presidential candidate, drew 3.6 percent of the vote in Washington State.; journalists, Lincoln Steffens,
Ida Tarbell
(author of "The History of the Standard Oil Company" ) and Ida
B. Wells ; writers Carl
Sandburg and Theodore
Dreiser; and lawyer Clarence
Darrow. Other famous Americans who reflected Progressive ideals were Thomas Nast
(Cartoonist) , Jacob
Riis (photographer and author of, "How the Other Half Lives"), Angie Debo,
(Author of "And Still the Waters Run") and Upton Sinclair --who
wrote, "The Jungle".
One of the most interesting writings at the time was, "Confessions
of a Reformer"by Frederick C. Howe, a Progressive policy wonk who
specialised in City planning and tax reform.
Our first Washington candidates ran for congress in 1912, as well as every
state-wide office from governor to state insurance commissioner. Our
Congressional candidates were: Daniel Landon, S. Warburton, F.M. Goodwin, J.W.
Bryan and J.A. Falconer. Our candidate for Governor was Robert T. Hodge, of
Seattle, Lt. Governor was Govnor Teats of Tacoma, Sec. of State W.H. Ford, of
Arlington, Commissioner of Public Lands, W.H. Kaufman of Bellingham, Treasurer
Arthur S. Cory of Chehalis, Auditor, Andrew E. Moberg of Mt. Vernon, Attorney
General, E.G. Mills of Seattle, Superintendent of Public Instruction, C.E. Beach
of Olympia and Insurance Commissioner, J.W. Collins of Kirkland.
They didn't win, but much of their state platform is now state law.1912
election
One of our most interesting early members was Rufus
Woods, publisher of the Wenatchee World for 43 years.. Another great Progressive was Judge Wiliiam H. (Warhorse) White) He was one of the founders of the Washington State Bar Association, and single handedly stopped an anti-Chinese Riot in 1886.Dr.Nena Jolidon-Croake Won her seat in the state legislature in the 37th district (Tacoma)
After a brief flowering, the Progressive Party was absorbed into the two
major parties, while the ideals remained just under the surface of American
political thought. These ideals bubbled up again in 1981 in the state of Vermont
with the candidacy of Bernie
Sanders for Mayor of Burlington. The Progressive Party was founded there
as a state party and has grown steadily since.
In 2003, Larry Pratt, of Puyallup, determined to start a Washington State
Progressive Party. He gathered together a few progressive friends and allies
with the intention of forming a state party to work first for the Greater Good,
as well as running good reform candidates true to the Spirit of 1912.
Linde
Knighton, a former Green Party candidate for state senator, cochaired in those first years.
Our first candidate in current times was Christal Wood, 2005 candidate for mayor of Seattle. We endorsed several candidates who backed our platform beginning in 2004. We also endorsed Democrats, Greens, A Libertarian and a Freedom Socialist.
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