Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-16
THE THIRD PARTY
Making Enough Noise Now to
Attract Public Atten-
ti0n and
WARRANT AN ANALYSIS.
Reasons 1Gr the Growth Of Political
independence.
Way Such MOVEMENTS MUST FAIL.
The ldealiSts Generally Tackle the Wrong
End of Things and
WARRANT AN ANALYSIS.
Way Such MOVEMENTS MUST FAIL.
DON'T KEEP IN TOUCH WITH THE PEOPLE
FROM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT


enough talk of third party movement"
to warrant the attention of the present poll
teal leaders Not that there is imminent
danger TO the two great parties, but because
unheeded, these signs of disintegration pre-
sage political revolution and an entirely
new alignment Third party movements
have been so regularly and persistently
sprung upon the country and have been so
uniformly noisy and threatening at first and
so ridiculous at the last that the effect of
such agitation is naturally next to nothing
on the popular mind. There are existing
conditions. however, that render the present
talk of third party more than usually in
terestinc. The recent conference in this
city and the baptismal services previously
held in Massachusetts, invite something
more than the analysis of the motives of
that particular class Of political retormers.
Let US get ST the subject as whole.
First, as TO existing conditions. 1t will
probablv be admitted by even the most
rigorous party man that the thing called
party fealtv sits more loosely upon the
national electors than ever before since the
organization of the Republican party. This
fact is shown in the Independence of
thought expressed on every hand, in the
shifting maiorities, in the political up
heavals and startling surprises in the
various States Massachusetts, Pennsvl-
varia. Illinois. little Rhode Island, Michi-
gan, Ohio, Indiana have given US repeated
examples of political independence of
thought and of individual action. The
South alone appears with solid front, hide
bOUnd; but this is almost a necessary con-
dition. from the mistaken policv of the Re-
publican leaders in insisting that the South
en negroes and Republicanism are identi-
cal. and in repeated attempts to emphasize
this by governmental authority Yet even
in certain Southern States the Farmers AL
lance has indicated an independence hither-
TO unknown in that region. Taken all
round, the South eliminated, it is more
difficult TO prognosticate what the Ameri-
can voter will do in political campaign
than ever it was.
Reasons for Political Independence.
There are a great many reasons for this
growth and annual exhibition OF political
Independence OF the strength of these
reasons people may and do honestly and
widely differ. In my own Judgment the
principal reason is a negative rather than
positive one. That is 10 say, it is chiefly
due to the present structural weakness of
of public Office is alone insufficient to hold
a great political organization together intact.
There are not enough offices. Nothing but the
power of accustomed party ties-the strength
Of time-honored associations and the natural
t-urrSrf vatism that resists the idea of change,
rake the grand armies Of Democracy and
Republieanism possible. We are Demo-
Gratis and Republicans for general and not
fOr specific reasons. A man who is Pro-
hibtiOHiSt has something tangible, specific.
The Prohibitonist is used here merely for
illustration. Specific reasons for being a
Democrat or Republican now viii not stand
strict analysis. The record of both parties
is TOO full OF inconsistencies to give the
voter any such secure foothold.
Under these conditions a third partv
would unquestionablv at once gain ire
mendoUs accessionS from the ranks of the
old organizations, provided the new stood
for something more definite. vital and gen.
orally satisfactory than is offered bv the ex-
listing political bodies. Great parties are
not founded bv a score or two of gentlemen
in swallow-tailed coats ST a political dinner
who are dissatisfied with the present con-
duct Of public affairs ard pass resolutions
that it ought to be better. For while
great many honest people will unhesitating-
" agree with them, the number who will
not be likely to create a panic anywhere
else. There must be one powerful, vitaliz-
ing mOtive-a moral centripetal force, that
viii at once not only attract and bind to it
the separated particles thrown off bv the
other bodies but will tend to complete the
work of disintegration.
Issues on Which Opinion Is Divided.
There is no such motive now apparent.
There is no such force in sight. There is no
single, grand. central, vital idea like that
which formed the nucleus and became the
backbone of the Republican party. There
is no combination OF principles and no pos
sible compromise Of practices that will even
gather the diseordant particles into one
fold.
Omitting the Democratic and Republican
parties and the organizations having their
existence in prohibition, socialism and
similar fundamental differences. we have
designated by generally accepted terms the
following reasonably clear divisions of
opinion:
l. The civil service reformers
>. The Farmers Alliance. sub-Treasury
wing.
3. The Farmers Alliance, anti SUBJ
Treasury.
4. The Greenback-Labor party.
). The Columbian party.
6. The Independents, or Mugwumps.
Z. Protection Democrats.
s. Free trade Republicans.
9. Free coinage, or free silverites.
10. Anti-Tree coinage, or those favoring a
gold basis.
1t is true that all of these divisions are
numerousiy represented in the two great
political organizations that alternate in the
control of public affairs and that completely
overshadow all others; bat it is equally
+rue that where they do so appear they be-
long to the dissatisfied class and come
under the head of what is vulgarlv known as
"kiekers" 1t is among and because of these
''kickers" that we hear SO much about the |
so-called ''third party movement" Those |
who have already courageouslv broken old |
party ties and are focking by themselves |
under more exclusive and select political |
banners look hopefully forward to the |
wholesale desertion of the ''kickers" and |
the accession of the entire body OF deserters |
to their own particular ranks. If such |
thing were possible-if any one of the |
political divisions or subdivisions could |
the entire body of the dissatis- |
fed on itself there would be third party"
indeed, and one which might hold the |
balance of power if ii did not actually COM
lnand plurality or majority of votes 1t |
would make very little difference what such |
q party was called. f'The Columbian" or |
''The Kickers" would do as well as any,
thing.
Courageous and Obstinate Kickers.
Unfortunately for the success of the third |
party movement 1t usually not only lacks a
great central, vitalizing principle, but it
pivots upon minor considerations that do
not attract and hold more than are at
tracted and held by the declarations of any