On Monday the National Progressive Convention assembled at Chicago to
create a third political party in the United States. Whatever may be the result of Mr. Roosevelt's attempt to reach the Presidency with the support of this third party, we cannot doubt that the Convention marks a very important date in American politics. Mr. Roosevelt is challenging the "machine," and we may be sure that he will not rest till he has spent every ounce of his strength in the attempt to replace it by new machinery. If he fails it will still be found that he has knocked the old-fashioned gear about a good deal. Ex-Senator Beveridge was temporarily chairman of the Convention, but it was at once noticed that of the 160 members of Congress who profess Progressive sympathies less than a dozen were present. Almost every State, however, was represented by delegates. Most of them wore the bandana handkerchief, which has apparently been adopted by the " Bull Moose " party—is the Bull Moose the emblem of vigour P—as the sign that it is the party, as the Times correspondent says, " of plain people."
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