The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-03-13
FAIL TO FOUND NEW PARTY
No Two Reform Plans Suggested
Ire Alike.
VAS VIDE scope Of OPINION
MILLIoNAIREs AND REFoRMERs
WITHOUT A CENT MEET
AND FALL OUT.

NEW YORK, March 13.-The three
day congress Of political reformers at
the country residence of j. G. Phelps
Stokes at Noroton Point, Conn. broke
up a failure in its intended purpose.
The primary object, to hit upon
some way to deliver the masses from
the grasp Of political vultures," fell
through because there were too many
divergent ideas as to how things
ought to be worked
Those responsible for the confer
ence, Of whom Mr.. Stokes was one of
the most conservative, had an inkling
before the reformers came together
that new party could be put in the
field that would come closer to the
plain people. 1t was agreed that the
republican and democratic parties
were STEPPED in the depth of political
crookedness and that the only saliva
ton for the common people was to
gather under the protection of a move
ment fashioned somewhat after the
socialist and municipal ownership
creeds
Wide Scope of Opinion,
So as to afford a wide scope Of
opinion, great latitude was exercised
in the sending Of invitations. Radical
socialists, single takers. halfway so
cialists and just plain reformers CT
the every day type were invited.
| Beside these. few cards were sent
to well-known priters on political top,
les whose opinions, it was inferred,
might be of some value.
The socialists were represented Iy
several Of their most able leaders,
among them Morris HilQuit, Leonard
Abbott, Victor Berger and Gaylord
Wiltshire, editor of Wilshires Social,
list Magazine. Then there were some
| rabid municipal ownership adherents
conspicuously, ex-senator John Ford
and Arthur Brisbane. Others in the
| throng We're Corporation Counsel Geo
Record of Jersey City,, John Sparago
Professor Franklin H. Giddings of Co
lumbia, David Graham Phillips. Ray
Stannard Baker, State Senator Ever
EFT Colby Of New Jersey, George Fred
Williams, William Kent, a Chicago
millionaire; John Brisbene Walker, J..
]. Ridgeway, of Everybodys Maya
zine; Ernest Poole, John Dewitt War
ner, A. J. Boulton. Joseph Medill Pat
terson, the Chicago millionaire who
turned socialist last week, and Robert
Hunter.
Trusts and Political Tyranny.
The deliberations were presided over
by Mr.. Stokes, who told the guests
that the plain people of America are
fairly screaming for deliverance from
political bondage. He gave the trusts
some hard raps and said it is evident
that something must be done to check
the spread of political tyranny. He
suggested that the thinkers air their
views.
One Of the socialists said he agreed
with Mr.. Stokes about the greed of
trusts. and added with spirit that the
socialist party had been fighting them
ever since socialism and trusts had met
face to face. He thought the only
way to arrive at the state of bliss indi-
Gated by Mr.. Stokes was for the
American people to embrace socialism.
The speech was not received with
outbursts of cheers, Mr.. Colby break
ing the silence to say that the repub-
lican party in New Jersey was doing
considerable work right now in the d.
rection indicated by the socialists, and
that a party working on the lines OF
the reorganized republicanism of New
Jersey might be a useful thing for the
whole country. He was not at all
enthusiastic about casting his lot with
the socialist party, but was willing 20
do all he could to help spread the
Jersey brand of reform.
M. o. as a Way Out.
Then a municipal ownership man,
who did not like the trend of things,
took the floor. He said he thought
some kind of an amalgamation of the
independent parties, with a sort Of
temperate dash of socialism thrown N,
would do the trick. He did not feel
like committing the NJ. O.'s to social
ism but was willing to take a chance
on a mild degree of socialistic doc
trine.
Things went from bad to worse. Mr..
Berger. the socialist leader. who has
a most energetic way of talking, said:
ere tba poop1o uapf RI he delivered