The Washington herald., 1916-04-27
A Serious Year in Politics.

The Presidential primaries far held show
a depressed market in political novelty. Sad as
it may appear the political booms that have
had the greatest publicity show the greatest stag
nation at the primary polls. We don't like to
think that advertising can be overdone or that
it is not always effective, but there is something
wrong with the system when applied to politics.
The Progressive campaign and that of the busi-
ness men have monopolized the publicity space in
the East but the people just vote for Republicans
and Democrats, perhaps from force of habit. In
the West Mr. Bryan had a complete new layout,
with prohibition and populism, but the voters of
Nebraska were as suspicious of him they have
become of ordinary she'll games at the county
fair.
The vote for Henry Ford in several States, is
accounted for in various ways; the people gen
orally believe that Mr. Ford is sincere and not
a fakir either in politics or business; and where
the whole primary was a joke they preferred to
compliment sincerity rather than play the game
OF the fakrs. This is not entirely new psy-
Geological demonstration. The American people
love novelties and in ordinary times of prosperity
and security they have the time, the money and
the disposition to indulge in novelties political
we'll social. They have been like Jeshurun
who grew fat and kicked. Several times in the
last generation there have been from million to
two million votes thrown away in Presidential
elections tickets which represented fancy
brands in politics. but in serious times the voters
have been divided between the two great poti-
cal parties, indicating that they were seriously
considering the contest and proposed to make
their votes count for definite and establish
ed political policy. In 1892 we had Popthists,
Prohbitonists, several kinds of Labor parties,
Socialists and Independents as we'll as Republi-
cans and Democrats. But in 1906 with issues
clearly defined, the political frills were dropped
and the contest between Republicans and
Democrats The indications, as evidenced by the
primaries far held, that history will repeat
itself and in 1916 the contest will be between
President Wilson and straight Republican can
didate, because the situation is serious enough to
make men think and then vote their convictions,
not their idle inclination to chase novelties.
The Progressive publicity agents, on the one
hand, and the prohibition and populist agtators
on the other hand, do not at present indicate any
serious embarrassment to the Republican and
Democratic parties. They may continue to con-
vcntion time and then dissolve like soap bubbles
and take account of stock. The Republican con.
vention will nominate Republican candidate who
will be a Republican platform and both easily
recognizable to the men who believe in Rcpub-
lican policies. The Democrats will nominate Mr..
Wilson and will necessarily make his administra-
ton their platform. Then the campaign will be
on. The political novelties now advertised will
be laid away for another political county fair
season. 1t may be little hard George Per
kins Victor Murdocl and William J. Bryan but
they have had good long season to market
their novelties and they can afford to rest until
the people are again in holiday mood with
plenty OF change to throw away on political gim-
cracks. The American people arc in a serious
mood this year as they may we'll be with the
SOLDERING effect Of the tragedies all about the
world as the result OF political novelties taken
too seriously.