The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1913-01-10
Editors Suggestion to Join
Old Line Republicans and
Progressives in Liberal
Party" Arouses Little In
terest in Either Faction
I TOO MUCH APATHY
FOR A CONVENTION
Leaders Declare Only Inter
ested Politicians Would
Attend and Session Would
Not Be Representative
Democratic Issue Alone Is
Expected to Join Rivals

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9-The full page
editorial Of Frank A Munsey published
in his newspaper. in which he suggests
a plan for bringing together the pro-
gressives and regular republicans. made
little Impression here on men of either
faction. Munsey's proposals, they said
contained nothing not advanced by
Governor Hadley of Missouri except
the single suggestion that both fac
tions surrender their names and adopt
in common some title such as the lib
eral" party
The scheme Of a holding party as a
means Of getting the two parties to-
gether makes an easy way of approach
and one from which the sting of preju-
dice on either side be removed. Nei-
ther party would go over to the other
Both would meet on neutral ground
10TH PARTIES TO DISAPPEAR
OF course. this does not presuppose
that the holding party would continue
merely as a holding party. with the
republican and progressive parties still
maintained as constituent organiza-
tions. With the merging Of the latter
into the holding party it would become
a concrete, closely ANAL gamated politi-
cal organization, quite as much SO as
either party is today AS independent
entities the republican and the pro-
gressive parties would disappear.
The scheme of the holding party
could be worked out in some such way
as this:
Let the voters of each party in the
several states call statewide confer
ence to discuss the plan and to appoint
delegates to a national conference.
These gatherings would not be joint
conferences. Each party would hold
its own conference made up of its own
men. The national conference, on the
other hand would consist of an equal
number Of delegates from the two par
ties
GET TOGETHER ON POLICY
The work of the national conference
would be to get together on principles
and policies and to select name for
the new holding party It should have
sufficient time for such an undertak-
ing-weeks or months if need be- It
would not only embrace the problem
Of harmonizing, but would have to
work out policies and principles that
would be representative of the best
thought of the day.
"A thorough study by the conference
OF the problems of government, both
state and national, would be a business
like way OF arriving at a sound basis
for annals amation and for fixing upon
the policies and principles of the new
party"
Senator'S disliked speaking for pub
lication. In conversation. one of them.
recognized as leader of the advanced
wing of the old party, said that it
would be a physical impossibility to
assemble a gigantic convention Of the
kind proposed by Munsey and Hadley.
NO REPRESENTATION IN MOVE
1t was hard enough. he said. to get
.the voters to turn out in the primaries
for delegates to national convention
that would choose a presidential candi-
date. AS result Of the apathy, he
said, the convention proposed would be
merely gathering of interested per-
sons who would represent nobody.
The feeling here is that if the two
factions are to sink their differences it
viii be over some issue yet to be raised
probably by the democrats What
sort of issue would bring together men
like Senators La Toilette. Clapp and
Root is not even suggested. but the
senator referred to said such union
could only come in the stress of a
struggle over real questions.
The prevailing expectation seems to
be that years hence may see the pro-
gressives either attracting the radical
democrats or losing their identity in /
democratic party controlled by radicals. /
In either case the conservatives of both
parties are expected to reach an UNDER
standing, though under what party en-
bIem no one tries to foretell.