The Washington times., 1913-03-12
AMALGAMATION No. 3

Failing in this, we are building without sub
stantial and lasting foundation.
Much as the great bulk of the people crave
social justice and other reforms, they crave a
good deal more three full meals day and de.
cent habitation in which to live They want
both, and should have both, but if it comes
down to question of having the ideals and the
reforms minus the full dinner-pail, and minus
a reasonable measure of comforts and luxuries,
they will always choose the latter.
The Line of Political Cleavage
There is great natural division between
the voters of America, rugged, rock-ribbed
range that separates men of opposing views.
On one side of this range are the adherentS OF
wider nationalsm and protective tariff. On
the other are the adherentS of State rights and
free trade, or tariff for revenue only. Over
this range Republicans cannot pass and still be
Republicans. Over this range Democrats can
not pass and still be Democrats AS things stand
in our country today, this is the true and only
definite line of political cleavage.
The Progressive party, in respect to the
tariff and to a wider nationalism, stands esseG-
tally with the Republican party and opposed
to the Democratic party. Its place is on the Re-
publican>side of the range. And these policies
of protection for American industry, the Amer
ican merchant, and the American wage, are the
vital, bedrock differences between the Demo-
cratic party on the one hand and the Republi-
can and Progressive parties on the other
these, together with the question of wider or
restricted nationalism.
Apart from the difference of opinion on
these two great issues, there is nothing in the
fhran rfi nan1Ncrofic nd
Progressive, to prevent men from going freely
from one to the other without sacrificing any
deep, underlying political principle In these
we have the only distinctive, bedrock issues
The measures of REFORM party management
attitude toward big business, equal suffrage
social JUSTICE and other policies, are as free to
one party as to the other The policies of each
are constantly coming up, are matters of day.
to-day, month-to-month, year-to-year deter1ni-
nation.
= No such latitude, no such freedom, exists
in the matter of tariff that primarily stands
for protection, and tariff used as a scheme OF
raising revenue. The Democrats are commit
ted to- the latter policy, the Republicans to the
former and with the Republicans stand til:
PrOgressives.
Likewise, no such latitude and freedom ex-
iSt with regard to wider or restricted national.
ism. The Democrats are committed to the lat
ter and the Republicans and Progressives to the
former
T hese, then, form the real line of Cleavage
between the voters of Amerca-all, or pract;.
cally all, except those committed to the theories
and principles of socialism.
In view of this fact, it would seem to me to
be the part of common sense-the kind of COM
mon sense that obtains in the business world
to bring about realinement of voters without
regard to whether they are now of Democratic,
Republican, or Progressive faith--a realine-
ment that will bring into a compact body all
who belieVein protection and a wider national.
ism, and, on the opposing side, all who stand
for restricted nationaliSm and tariff for reve-
nue. only, or for free trade, as the case may b..
Out of Tune With Parties.
There are an enormous number of men l.:
the Democratic party today who are at heart
as thorough protectionists as any Republicans,
but who, because of political associations, Oh
geographical location, or inherited politics, or
for one cause and another, are all the while vot
ing against themselves, are all the while dis
loyal to themselves in their political attitude
and political affiliations
On the other hand. there are doubtless
Some men in the Republican party, and con-
sideraby larger percentage, should say, in the
Progressive party, who, on the question of the
tariff, are at heart in sympathy with the views
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