The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1909-07-29
A NEW PARTY? NO.

The Commoner receives letter oc-
casionally from some reader who sug-
gests the formation of a new party, and
the idea sometimes appears in the
which are dissatisfied with |
the proceedings at Washington. The
new party suggestion is more easily |
made than carried out. To plan new
party is easy; to organize one of any
considerable size is very difficult.
There is certain attractiveness about
a new party; if one can get few con-
genial spirits together and organize a
party on a definite platform and pledge
it to definite reform, he can have the
consolation that comes from association
with companions in agreement with
him, but if his party becomes very |
large, differences of opinion will mani
fest themselves, and these differences
will become more numerous as the party
increase in strength. All do not think
alike on any subject, and few think
alike on all subjects. The question that
the reformer has to decide is not
whether he would find a new party more
congenial, but whether he can better
advance reforms in new party than in
one Of the existing parties. The Com
moner stands for reforms-reforms def
mite, specific and important, and it
believes that these reforms can better
be accomplished through the democratic
party than through any new party that
could be organized under present con-
ditions. The reform element in the
democratic party is large enough to
control the party, and if the reform ele-
ment we're not large enough to control
the party, it would not be large enough
to contribute materially to the formation
of new party, for many more demo-
Gratis will enlist under the banner of
reform within the party than would
leave the party and join new one. The
same can be said of the republican
party-a great many more republicans
will attempt to reform the republican
party than would leave it and form a
new party. Mr.. Cleveland and his
friends controlled nearly one-third of
the national convention in 1895 but he
and they could not form \ new party.
The advocates Of a new party suggest
that the reform element of the demo-
cratic party and the reform element of
the republican party "join together in
the formation of a new party. That is
not practicable at the present time.
The reformer, if he is real reformer,
wants to see his reforms carried out
he is so much interested in seeing them
carried out that he will work in the
party where he thinks he can work to
the best advantage. There are great
many republican reformers, and it will
be easier to get republican reformers
to act with democratic reformers in the
democratic party than it would be to
get republican reformers to join with
democratic reformers in organizing
new party, for the republican reformers
know that they can do more to secure
reforms by acting with the democratic
party than they can by acting through
an independent party. And so more
democratic reformers would be willing
to join with the republican reformers
to carry out reforms through the re-
publican party than would be willing
to join with the republican reformers
in the organization of a new party.
Let the democrat reformers fight for
the control of their party, and let the
republican reformers fight for the con-
troll of the republican party. If the
democratic reformers control the demo-
cratic party, and the republican re-
formers fail to control the republican
party, then let democrats appeal to re-
publican reformers to cross the party
line and put reforms above party. The
appeal will be headed by multitude
of republicans. If, on the contrary. the
republican reformers secure control of
their party and the democratic re-
formers lose control Of theirs, there is
no doubt that the republicans could
count on the support of many democrats.
At present the only hope of reform
seems to be drought one of the old
parties, and The Commoner believes
that the democratic party has the
largest hope and best prospects and,
therefore, it urges activity among
the democrats who desire to make the
party positive force for the remedy
ing of existing abuses -Commoner.