Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-01-16
DIVISION AND DEMOCRACY

/ Y divide and disrupt the Repub-
lican party, the sentiment
throughout the country is rapidly
crystalizing on the proposition that
under our present system of gov
ernment there can be but two
great political parties. Mr.. Finn and
those associated with him have taken
advantage of the unrest within the
Republican party over old conditions,
which have been largely remedied, to
continue separate organization. How
long they can persuade any consider
able number of Republicans, however,
to follow them in q course of po-
Htical conduct that in the last analysis
means only Democratic supremacy
will depend upon the attitude of the
Republican leaders more than upon
what the Finn group may do.
1t must be apparent to the average
observer OF political events and the
trend of political sentiment that the
pow-wow here during the last two
days, so far as old-time methods are
concerned, was little different from
the old party caucus.
Two years ago Mr.. F'linn's conven-
ton in this city demanded Statewide
primaries. direct nominations and all
sorts of electoral reforms. These were
granted by the last Legislature, ap-
proved by a Republican Governor,
and are now in force and effect. Even
the United States Senator must now
be nominated in open primaries and
elected by the people in the same
manner as the Governor and other
State officers. But notwithstanding the
writing of these so-called reforms
into the laws of the State, the Finn
element still insists that there can be
no return to the Republican party,
knowing as they must that continu-
to being first aid to the Democratic
party. There is nothing else to it,
and Republicans who are still hon
estly Of the opinion that the move
ment will have any other result must
soon be disillusioned.
No sane Republican will insist that
his party has made no mistakes. 1t
has been party of great achieve
ment, but it has also been guilty of
many errors. These should be the
danger signals for the future. Evils
have existed and have been used by
the demagogue for his own special
purposes; but, as suggested by Henry
l.. Simpson in a recent discussion
of political conditions, "the great
changes of our industrial and social
life have incidentally dislocated our
governmental machinery and made
readjustment inevitable"
There are enough earnest and
brainy Republicans in the country to
raise still higher the party standard
and to energize and emphasize the
partys guiding principles in effecting
such an adjustment
notwithstanding the conference
which has just been held in this city
by the group that processes to see no
hope for the Republican party, there
are distinct evidences all over the
country of disappearance of the 1912
progressive" movement. Thousands
of followers of Colonel Roosevelt have
already returned to their old allie
giance-not, as suggested by the
Philadelphia Ledger, because they
love progressivism less, but because
they fear Democracy more.
So it is manifestly fair deduc-
ton from the developments of the
last year that there can be only two
great parties. There is no indication
anywhere of the permanency of the
third party movement. But it has
served purpose in arousing the Re-
publican party to its duty In the
matter of reform within the party
itself and to the need of more prompt
response to the demands of the
people.