Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1911-09-02
WANT TO ORGANIZE A NEW Ma
TIONAL PARTY.


A movement headed by LaFOllette, il
is said, and seconded by other Repub-
licans of the Progressive stripe, as
well as by several Western Democrats
who are too radical to keep step with
the regular party organization. has for
its purpose the welding of the PRO
gressives" of both parties into new
national organization for the purpose
of placing a ticket in the field next
year and appealing to the support of
the radical elements of both parties.
Such a party, despite the wave of
radicalism that is said to be sweeping
over the country would be but min
ority party next year at least, and
would go down in defeat. 1t would
doubtless make heavier inrOads on
the Republican party than on the DEM |
ocratic. The masses of the Democrat /
is party are satisfied with the showing
the party has recently made, and the:e
is no such serious DETECTION of dissal-
isfed voters threatened as in the case
with it's opponents. A certain small /
element would like to commit the parry
to a program embracing radical fel-
lures that are of doubtful value, bat
the great majority of Democrats believe
that tho best interests Of the country
lie in adherence to the old organization
and a clean cut program of tariff re-
form, economy in administration Of
the government, the divorce Of the
courts from corporate control, and the
of all illegal combinations
that restrain trade and bear heavily
upon the consuming public. That is a
program sufficient to absorb all of the
energies and talents of the party for
the next four years. If it can conquer
these evils, and give the country relief
from the wrongs it has borne for 80
many years, it will have amply justi-
fled the faith of the nation in it's good
and it's ability to do what
if processes. To seek to amalgamate
with these vital policies a lot of side
issues that are petty by comparison,
su as the initiative and referendum
and recall, guaranty Of bank deposits
alecytion of Federal judges by the peo-
pie, etc, would be the height of polit-
zeal folly. The old Democratic party
can well afford to let a new party make
a hOdge-pOdge platform of all these
isms, with all the panaceas it's leaders
can dish up for the manifold evils Of
society. Democracy's power in the
coming campaign will consist in not
it's strength over too many
planks, but in concentrating it's at
tacks on the greatest of the evils that
afflict the country.
The mass of the people of the United
States are pretty level-headed. They
have sense enough to know that if the
Democratic party has bold, distinct
policy of tariff reform, corporation reg
and trust humiliation, it VIII
have laid out enough work to keep It
busy throughout the full four years of
a presidential term. Once these evils
are mitigated attention can be given 20
minor matters of detail, and to the
of whatever other reforms the |
of the country may de.
mand. 1t will not do for the party tot
let the co-called "Progressives" of
either or both parties, force it into the
position of frightening the common
sense of the country with a long list
of cures for every possible evil, exist
ent or imaginary. If the more radical
type want to get out of the party and
flock to the banner of La Toilette it
would be better to let them do so than
to hazard the success of the party in
1912 by tempOrizing with them. Let
the party stand pat on two or three
great issues. That is enough at one
time. Indeed, the one great issue of
tariff reform is sufficient. -