The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-12-04

rY,e address, Of woodrow wilson TO the congress-
~ fine United states is not overrated by those
mary who have called It "statesmanltk% docu-
rnent, but Il is no reflection upon tho president
IN po,nt out that 1T is net lacking in evidence
nj political shrewdnesa, President Wilson Is not
only tho president Of the United States; he Isl
also the Ieader--not as Mr. Taft, the ut'laT
reader-of his party. Az such re is looking to-
its future and his emphatic declaration at This
ttme for presidential preference primaries is
po1ftical move Of Importance well as step
toward popular government
There is at present one virile political party
in the country, one expiring party and one
struggling to overcome a congenital weakness
and rtpen into full manhood The problem
for the Democratic party is to prevent the Re
publican and Bull Moose parties from uniting
and 10 attach 10 itself the more sanely conserva-
five members of the latter. When It was evil
dent that he could not secure the Republican
nomination by old methods which had served
him 50 well in the past, Colonel Roosevelt became
an ardent favorite Of preferential primaries.
The results showed his political wisdom and into
his platform was incorporated q plank declaring
for the legaization Of such primaries. This and
ether 4raGrassiNe planks attracted large num-
her Of progressive Republicans TO his standard.
rnev did not sec or close their eyes to the
danger IN the man and the dangers in many
Of his radical proposals. bur being Republicans
they could not Join the Democratic party and
being progressives they could not remain in
hossyr4dden Republican party. SO they Joined
the forces Of the colonel.
year has passed and the break from the
Republican party having been made. the prejudice
against q name in lessening and In three more
years under the leadership OF man like Wood
row Wilson the Democratic party will have
eliminated practically all such prejudice on the
mart of ergtwhile Republicans, Bull Moosers
IT only remains necessary. therefore. for the
Democratic party TO be progressive TO attract
many Of these people TO its standard Tho
promptness with which the pledges to reform
che tariff were kept has inspired confidence and
If the evil results predicted do not flow from
tbe revision of the schedules the protechonsts
among the progressives viii not be deferred
by the low tariff views Of the Democrats II
other platform pledges kept as well an the
one relating to tariff revision many progress
gives and independents Will have more faith
in the integrity of the Democratic party and its
headers If in addition the planks in the Rosoe-
welt platform which are sanely constructed are
edopted by the Democrats and the dangerously
radical and the half-baked ideas are disregarded
many proaressives will vote the Democratic
ticket one year hence and increasing num-
e., SAa
presidential campaign is opened
President Wilson's declaration for presidential
primaries meets with the approval Of the coun-
try and Of the progressives OF all parties, Other
declarations translated into action VIII meet with
the same approval II Is not too much TO hope
therefore. that within three years thousands
OF Bull Moosers and thousands of progressives
Of the Republican party who cannot stomach
Roosevelt will bo constrained TO vote for the
Democratic candidates standing on a platform OF
sanely progressive principles
Another possibility looms UP. Should the
Democrats succeed IN attracting TO them the
CONSERVATIVES with move on" and so sweep
the country that would be the end Of the Roose
relt party and Of the c. 0. p. There would
originally. an era during which the lines Of
cleavage are being drawn and the parties
which are TO be formed are going through thf
process. There win emerge conservative and a
progressive party-the fight is always between
the two. The Democratic. or present progressive
party viii be the haven Of the conservatives
and the progressiyes or radicals will probably
draw to them the Socialists or join the 50
rialists outright, giving US again two parties the
Democratic and the Socialists.
That IS possibility OF the future, but so far
In the future and such a bare possibility that
The VirctHiaa refuses to stand sponsor Prob
ably our good friend. H. A. Tyree. local Socialist
can zee something like this In the distant days
10 cosne-s