'Committee of 48' Seeks Progressives, Feb. 24, 1920

From The Daily Times, Wilson, N.C., Feb. 24, 1920.

The Committee of 48 Is Preparing an Organization in This State. . . Republicans Actively Connecting Up With the Movement

With offices permanently established in Raleigh, Wade B. Leonard, State Chairman of the “Committee of 40,” is conducting a campaign to perfect the organization in North Carolina.

The purpose of “The Committee of 48,” according to Mr. Leonard, is the organization of a new progressive and liberal political party in the United States, and it hopes to win over one-time members of the Progressive party, Progressive Democrats, the farmer and labor vote. The first national conference was held in St. Louis December 9-12 last year, at which time tentative platform and statement of aims were unanimously adopted. Following the St. Louis meeting, plans were at once started for the organization in every state in the union, and very satisfactory progress is being made, Mr. Leonard says.

Dr. J.M. Templeton of Cary, vice president of the State Farmers’ Union, is at work organizing Wake County. John W. Jenkins of Asheville in Buncombe and the Tenth District; E.C. Faires, secretary of the State Farmers’ Union, is a member of the State executive board of “The Committee of 48,” and is being assisted by E.G. Lindeman and Miss Lena B. Ullington of Greensboro in Guilford county.

Mr. Leonard, a native of Statesville, Iredell county, is a brother of Paul Leonard, secretary of the State Merchants Association. For a number of years he lived in Texas.

Following is the tentative platform adopted by the St. Louis convention and which is being used as a basis for state organization:

“Public ownership of transportation, including stock yards, large abattoirs, grain elevators, terminal warehouses, pipe lines and tanks. Public ownership of other public utilities and of the principal natural resources, such as coal, oil, natural gas, mineral deposits, large water power and large commercial tracts.

“No land (including natural resources) and no patents to be held out of use for speculation to aid monopolies. We favor taxes to force idle land into use.

“Equal economic, political and legal political and legal rights for all, irrespective of sex. The immediate and absolute restoration of free speech, free press, peaceable assembly and all civic rights guaranteed by the Constitution. We demand the abolition of injunctions in labor cases. We endorse the effort of labor to share in the management of industry and labor’s right to organize and bargain collectively through representatives of its own choosing.”

No decision has been reached by the Supreme Court in the case in which the law license of H.L. Snyder of Greensboro is being held up because of the withdrawal of the character endorsement of Judge W.P. Bynum.