The Washington herald., 1917-11-13
Williams Paid Back.

some Oh the members or Congress
VINO have been allied with the re-
dictionary groups of their parties,
when so-called progressives Of their
parties spoke of their political en-
! deaVors, are laughing up their
sleeves at the predicament John
Skelton Williams, comptroller of the
currency. finds himself in urging
the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion to grant higher railroad rates.
Someone has called Mr.. Williams
| a reactionary now, and he has been
alluded TO by some of his critics
as "a friend of big business merely
because he seeks to give the rail-
/ roads what he thinks is their Just
/ due.
Mr.. Williams has been proud to
follow in the footsteps of men who
have always made an issue against
those who favored giving the rail-
roads some favorable consideration,
/ when they needed it. He has even
! followed some men, in political ac-
! tion, who denominated any public
man who did this. "a tool OF Wall
street" and the like. 1t is there
fore. amusing to some of the public
servants on the hill to see Mr.. Will
Jams turn upon his critics now and
call them down for their objection
to his stand with the railroads.
The truth is. say the members,
that it is a very good thing for Mr..
Williams to undergo this expert
ence. 1t may make him be less
eager to talk about "reactionaries"
and "standpa tiers" in the future,
and it may make him more agree
ably impressed with the efforts of
men in his party who try to do the
proper think between all interests
and who. because they believe in
| treating gigantic interests fairly,
are not to be put down necessarily
as enemies of the common people.
This tolerance between interests
and between public men is another
effect of the war. they say at the
Capitol, and there are many of the
| statesmen there who are inclined
to think that it will increase great
| ly within the next two or three
| years.
That New Party.
Those men who say that the Nation
| alist party movement is not likely to
| develop strength because there is no
overwhelming question upon which II
| can differ with the two major parties
now in existence are insistent that
| they have the matter down pat. They
declare that if the new party en-
deavors to take issue with the older
| parties on the war question. it will
be sorry showing that it will make
at the polls next year. And they add
that unless it seeks to enunciate dit
| fnr.4nFaS Nrh l..
! selves, 1t will not arouse enough in
| terest to bring many men INTO its fold.
The new party, therefore. according
to tEis analysis, faces two problems
First the problem of developing an Is
sue upon which it can bring great
strength to its ranks; and, second, to
the problem OF making members Of
now existing parties disguised and
dissatisfied with their old political af-
| fliations.
Unless the new party can gather
| force by successfully solving these
! problems it Will not prove much Of a
factor next year or any other time.
party cannot be brought into ex-
istence merely because a small clique
of men are put out a; their former
party action upon some obscure ques-
lon. A new party to be successful
and to gain in strength and to gather
force as 1t goes on must be born CT
great principles. 1t must have some
great popular force at its command
| which is capable of expression in TO
other way than in the organization OF
new politician unit. Unless it con-
forms to such basics 1t is likely to
suner the fate of the late progressive
party-a party which its founders
thought was formed on principles but
which soon came to be known as the
party OF personality. The progress
sives failed because their party was
erected upon mere man" and he
being mortal the party could not be
expected to live. Principles which
are enduring can perpetuate a party
so II the new party expects to thrive
at the outset, and to have long life 1t
must bring forth more to the sum
heht OF public life than 1t has yet
brought forth, or than its fathers have
yet spoken OF in their statements
concerning II.