The Washington herald., 1907-01-06
Views Of an Observer of PO-
litical Conditions.
RADICALISM BOUND TO GROW
Democratic Party VIII Either Be
come Very Radical or Cease 10
Exist. iE the Opinion OF Philip
RappaPort, an indianapolis At
torney-Gompers Made "A Mistake.

q jealous student Of social science, and
has always taken great interest in the
labor movement. Asked what he thought
about the. recent elections and the general
political situation, he said;
..,Tbe trend toward radiealism in our
political life is too obvious to be over
looked by anybody, and it has become
clear 10 me since the first nomination
of Bryan that the Democratic party win
in course Of time be either a very radical
marty or be not at all. The lines between
plutocracy and democracy are not yet
sharply drawn, but will soon be so drawn
People. as a rule, judge specifically or
in way that suits their purpose. They
think II was the great popularity of
Roosevelt which brought him such an
immense vote in 1904. 1 do not think so,
although I do not deny his popularity
1t was the attempt of the Democratic
party leaders TO turn the party from
its course toward radicalism into one of
conservatism Il use the word conSerVa-
tism in its genealogical sense OF &c pre-
serve, to conserve, not in its popular
sense of moderately The leaders, seeing
many Of those inclined toward pluto
cratic government leave the party, be
came afraid and were unable 10 see that
the opposite course would result in still
greater loss. If every one wanted TO be
conservative there is, no need Tor a
Democratic party. There is conserva-
tism enough, and more than enough. in
the Republican party The significance
Of the result OF the last Presidential cleo
ton lay not in the large vote for ROOse-
welt. but in the small vote for Parker
Aroused Class Consciousness.
II have a habit Of never Judging things
by themselves only Every party con-
vention, every platform, every election, is
part Of national history. a part Of the
continuous evolution Of human society.
If you Judge things singIy you can never
get any sense of out them. One must
study their connections and relations. 1t
amused me when I read that Republicans
declared that the election of Hearst
would be a calamity, because he stirred
up a class war, Just as if we had not been
in the midst Of class war all the time.
All Mr. Hearst could do was TO make
the people conscious of it, and therein. Of
course, was the same danger to the ruling
class as there would be to the owner Of a
horse If it were made conscious Of its pow
er. All political progress was and is due
TO class struggles. We would still have
Caesarism, or something worse, without
them. It has never happened that a rul-
ing class voluntarily yielded its preroga-
tives or its powers.
There are still people who deny that
we have classes in this republic. They
do not understand the difference between
political and economic class. They fail
TO comprehend the difference between the
present and the past. In a poor society
one class cannot rule the other without
~sTs.-~ rio lilo.
ours, with its immense differences of
wealth. the rich class can rule the poor
class by the mere power and influence of
wealth. They need no political privi-
leges. they can rule even ia the name of
freedom and equality.
1T amuses me to hear Of the general
prosperity of the people. There is no
general prosperity Our prosperity is
that of the wealthy not Of the poor Our
national wealth grows in immense pro-
portions, but the poor get nothing of it.
The cost of living Increases as fast, or
faster, than the price of labor.
Cannot XIII on Trusts.
"Mr. Roosevelt's fight against the trusts
Is also a source of amusement to me on
account Of the overestimation of its value
and its effect. OF course. he means it
honestly and. God knows, he had hard
work enough within his own party to
make them do what he wanted them to
do But after ali, il amounts TO no
more than a little clipping Of the lions
claws. The lion continues TO live. The
combination and concentration of com
merce, industry, and transportation in
always fewer hands, the elimination of
competition win proceed irresistibly, and
power of capital will grow, and our ma
ton Cand every Other civilized nation. for
that NATTER viii soon consist of a few
masters, with the rest of the people as
hired men and wonderland children. The
period of competition is past, and at
tempts to restore It are Quixotic. The
world moves forward. not backward.
of course. concentration of industry
IS productive Of greater wealth and,
therefore, of great advantage. At pres
ent, however, this advantage inures TO
the benefit Of only few, and the problem
is to turn it to the benefit Of the masses.
The greatness of a nation does not depend
on the welfare OF a few select but on
the welfare OF the masses. A change can
be affected in only two Ways-either by
violent revolution or by the use of the bal
lot The latter way is the American way
but tnat means, whether the people are
conscious Of II or not, that every election
is more or less an expression of the intent,
on one side TO preserve, and on the other
10 change existing economic conditions.
Now, consider, if you please. in con-
nectiOn with all this the strength Of our
twO-party system; that is, the strong
dissemination of the American people 10
have more than two political parties: con-
slider the growth Of demOcraticaI senti-
ment, the growth of education and better
understanding Of the causes and effects in
the economic life of our nation. the grow
ing Discrimination Of the masses TO follow
their leaders blindly. and the thoroughly
conservative Gin the same sense as before)
character of the Republican party, It
must inevitably follow that the Demo
cratic party must either become a radical
party or give way 10 a new party.
Democracy to Become SOciaIistic.
II venture to predict, or as prediction
IS too hazardous, I venture to express
the belief, that the next Democratic plat
form, or latest the one after the next,
will contain a declaration in favor of
government ownership of railroads and,
perhaps other publiC-service utilities. ]
further venture the opinion that, as soon
as the South will have succeeded in
eliminating the colored vote, 1t viii cease
10 be the stronghold of the Democratic
party. and voters there viii divide on the
same lines as in the North. But the work
ing people will flock in steadily growing
numbers toward Democracy. The work
ing people have been held by the Republi-
can party through the alluring protective
Ts-T9r Il a s~~f,