The Washington herald., 1914-03-25
Senator cIapp'. Poss-Mort.n.

Accepting the remarks of Senator
Moses CIapp to the convention of the
Maine Progressives yesterday as gospel
the splitting of political parties has been
quite completed, unless, indeed, there
may be split coming in the ranks of
the Senator's own faction. The great
body of the Progressive element has
permanently left the Republican party.
he told his hearers, and the Democratic
party is split in twain by a line that
runs through it. separating those who
believe in progressive policies. reflect
ing government by the many, from those
who stand for reactionary policies, re-
flecting government by the few"
The Senator predicted the evolution
of two great political parties from the
realignment which he says is now in
progress, one conservative or reaction
ary and the other liberal or progressive.
The Democratic party, he added, could
no more outgrow the barnacles that
have fastened upon it than could the
Republican party. Accepting Senator
Clapp's analysis of the situation as true
in measure, the outcome which he
predicts must yet be far off. II may be
that the reactionary Democrats and the
reactionary Republicans will gather I'M
der one standard as conservatives and
the progressives of the two parties will
organize and call themselves liberals.
but it is safe assumption that it won't
happen in time to affect the Congress
sional election next autumn or the
Presidential contest in 1916 1t will take
a much longer time to thus disrupt the
two old parties and we apprehend that
Senator Clapp knows this as we'll as
any one, though he does speak of the
Republican party in a way suggesting
the past tense. The Republican party
was strong and healthy enough until
certain events happened in Chicago in
1912, and it hasn't plunged from a Wig
orous existence into dissolution in less
than two years, in spite OF Senator
Clapps requiem. And what was the
immediate cause of death according TO
the Senator? First he said:
The Republican party, in its in
ception. was based upon the broad
principle that government, if for
all. must be by all. Ii was the aban-
donment of this principle under Mr..
Taft that led to the ruin of the
party.
So President Taft killed it, Not so
fast. Further on in his speech Senator
Clapp said:
1t is idle TO talk of resuscitating
the Republican party If under the
splendid leadership of Col. Roose-
welt the Republican party could not
be permanently restored to its old
time vigor or purposes it is idle to
talk OF such restoration when the
great body of the progressive ele-
ment has permanently left the party.
President Taft's policies in I9oo-I3
lied to the ruin" OF the party. while
Col. Roosevelt's in IooI-Iooo failed to
resuscitate it. With such wide dis
crepancies in the account of the death,
there is certainly plenty of excuse for
doubt as to whether the party is dead
at all.
As for the Democratic party, a study
of the achievements OF President Viii
son and the responsive Congress behind
him in the past year is proof enough
that it is very much alive While there
is nothing in Senator Clapp's remarks
to inspire optimism on the part of the
"reactionary" Republicans, it is just as
difficult to discover anything over which
the Maine Moosers might enthuse. 1t
must all be handed to the Democrats.
As for the impending fate of the two
old parties the Senator's prediction is
very like that of the Irishman who told
his fellow-worker that the country was
going to the devil, whercupon the other,
with pay day in view, ventured the hope
full belief that il would last till Satur-
day night.