The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1919-04-18
America Is Facing A. Political Realignment
eSureyF
UponW 1ich hto teandS nd Future ahonaE Elections

uSW Va
Committee of Forty-eight is
sizes call for a conference
of those radical forces In
America which by nature
of occupation stand outside the
ranks of the labor and farmer
movements of the country. This
nroposal constitutes simply the
first step in a direct and con-
scious effort to bring together
the hand and brain workers OF
America on a common pro-
granme and in some common
form of organization looking to-
ward political action. 1t aims to
correct one of the most glaring
and calamitous deficiencies in
American life during the war
npriod. namely, the lack of or
oanization of our radical intel
Iect11al forces, and hence the
lack of vigor, purpose, and con-
sistency in our radical opinion.
President Wilson, with his. be-
fuddling liberalism, has made it
literally impossible for American
radicals to know where they
stand; each time a programme
of real opposition raised its
head. each time a sound body OF
radical opinion seemed about to
be effected, he advanced a fresh
variant on the pious theme of
his now-proverbial idealism; and
the revival of hopes has resulted
only in the confusion Of issues.
The group comprising the Com
mittee of Forty-Eight apparent
" realizes that the first task for
American radicals is to get them
selves organized.
A Political ReaIignment
But over and above these ini-
tial considerations, the proposal
is highly significant as an ind1-
cation of present POLITICAL tend
encies in America. 1t amounts,
briefly, to recognition Of the fact
that we are faced by a funda-
mental political realignment
based on economic issues; that
America, after her own fashion,
must attack the same tremen-
dous problems which confront
the world abroad; that there is
no possible escape from these
problems; and that if we cannot
solve them through our political
machinery, our political machin-
cry will be scrapped in revolu-
ton. ''And after the war came
reconstruction-as after death,
the Judgment. What was true
of the Civil War is doubly true
of the present situation. The
economic exigencies Of today
have no safe margin to fall back
on, as they had in 1865. There
IS no more slack left in the
worlds economic running gear;
every rope is taut and singing
under the gale that has come
upon us out of the east; and if
the strands begin to carry away,
We shall soon be dismasted and
drifting helplessly before the
storm.
Fran0ers of Our Constitution
Could Not Foresee Present
The trainers Of our Federal
constitution could not foresee
jn2 development Of modern in
c''strialized society. They could
not fCresee the shifting Of the
actual seat Of government from
executive chambers and legisla-
I've halls to banks, stock ex-
changes, schools, and newspap- |
er Offices. They could not fore
see banker control of credits and
industry, and hence of educa-
uon and the news, and hence of
public opinion, and hence Of the
political machinery Of govern
ment itself. They provided
against political autocracy; but |
'Hey could not foresee the grad
"al decay Of the old forms of |
polltlcal power and the gradual
use Ct q new economic power;
nehce they could not provide |