The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-01-07

FORMER SENATOR w. D. WASH
BURN SEES CRISIS COMING.
Republican and Democratic Views on
Many Leading Questions Of Today
Are Nearly Identical and Party
Leaders Are Not With the Popular
acknowledgements Impends.

With party lines moro nearly oblit-
Grated thar they lave been in the past
fifty years, the leaders of. both great
political parties today face a situation
that will require all of their adroit-
ness and ingenuity if the two parties
are to maintain their identity.
This is a conclusion that may be
reached after thoro consideration OF,
the views of former United States SEN
ator w. D. Washburn. Senator Wash
burn is known as one Of the stanchest
republicans Of the country and as a
shrewd and interesting observer and
student of national politics, especially
on the republican side.
"In the first place. said Senator
Washburn in. discussing the situation
confronting the republican party, "1no
man can fo~retell, in more than a gem
eral way, what will happen in politics.
Politics is not an exact science. This
much is true, however, there must be,
a live, burning issue in order to main
tain parties and party lines. Without
a division Of thought and opinion there
can be no live parties. This is exactly
the situation, I might say, today. The
bulk of the republican party and the
majority of the democratic party feel
the same. In each party there is a
c%oterie Of leaders on the opposite side
from the masses of those parties.
Revision and Reciprocity.
"The majority of republicans, espe-
cially in this part of the country, are
strongly in favor Of tariff, revision and
reciprocity as against the policy Of
stand-pat. The mass Of the democratic
party, 1 believe, favor revision and
reciprocity, but possibly the democrats
are more radical in their views and
would see revision carried to greater
lengths.
"The some division in the party ex-
lists owe the question of. corporation
and trust regulation continued Sena-
tor Washburn, "and again the repub-
lican majority which believes in regu.
lation of these p~resent-day dragons
thinks in common with a large part OF
the democratic party. 1t is also a pc
culiar fact that as a general rule those
who favor tariff reforms and reciproc
ity are also believers in trust and cor
poration regulation, including railroads
and the much exploited rate question.
eft is also a peculiar fact that as {
rule the leaders of these parties, espe
, cially in the republican party, are op
| posed to the popular opinion. Thu
, tariff standpatter is an opponent o:
regulation. The leaders of the demo
cratic party are inclined to be mor'
J radical in their reform and tariff meas
ures than are the masses Of the party
, Merging Of Parties.sr
"With a continuation of the presen
: trend Of popular thought it would no
be surprising if we should see a mere
ing of parties or rather. Of the masse
Of the parties, with a resulting realigr
ment OF organizations. It might mea
the formation of a new republican an
a new democratic party, or it NIGH
bring about the formation of a ne,
o party Of another name, one of the pre-
cnt parties falling out Of existenc.
Again, a third party entirely new an
composed of like thinkers from othe
q parties may spring into existence frol
! the dissatisfaction existing in both pa.
- ties. The political muddle of the mix
e. die ffties, when the democratic an
( whig parties became. involved, an
e which resulted in the new division int
e the democratic and republican partie
was not unlike what we may see in tt
@ politics of tomorrow.
- "While this is all true, it is impo
:, sible to foretell what will occur. TT
so-called republican leaders may rea
9 the handwriting on the wall and shal
II their course accordingly. Should tt
g party leaders, who today are opposin
the wishes of a majority of the part
adopt a policy of tariff readjustme1
and reciprocity, together with a polio
favoring regulation and supervision (
n the trusts Inc corporations, and a fai
just policy Of reform and regulation
these huge. interests and the railroad
~ there is no room for doubt as to the r
suit. The republican party would
It the only party; it's supremacy wou]
be unquestioned.' s.
If "What about the elections he,
lie faIlgn
< Elections Next Fall.
ID ~ believe that the state elections
s, next fall will afford an index to tt
y public feeling and thought" reptile
- Senator Washburn. "Whether or NJ
~ the leaders who are opposing the wi
~ Of the majority will heed it cannot
le told. /, for one, hope SO, for failure
IS do SO will certainly prccipitate the t
a tai obliteration of party lines thruo'
Or the country.
"The masses Of the republican vote:
will have an opportunity to expre
their wishes at the congressional ele
tions next fall. I hope to see the loc
:. sentiment of every community crysta