Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-07-13

Mr.. Pinchot. Mr.. McCurdy and the
other men who organized the Commit
tee Of Forty eight are learning that the
hardest thing in the world to be is a
liberal. That has been found out sew
eral times since the war ended.
Many men wanted to see Mr..
Hoover nominated by the Republicans
because they thought that in this way
they would have a chance TO vote for a
liberal on the Republican ticket. But
the Republicans wouldn't have Hoover.
Then again many men wanted to see
Mr.. McAdoo nominated at San
Francisco because they thought they
would like to vote for McAdoo as a lib
eral on the Democratic ticket. But the
Democrats would not have McAdoo.
This being the case, the Committee of
Forty eight decided to fuse together a
lot of elements into a liberal party of
their own where all Unhappy liberals
might find home. They said. "Over
here at the extreme right are the Re
publican and Democratic parties. And
over here on the extreme left is the
Socialist party. Just here" land they
made a chalk mark. midway between
them, is the place for a liberal party.
There is lots of room for one and there
are many others who are disgusted with
the old parties. but who won't go over
to Debs and socialism.
II Was Lovely Vision
It was a lovely vision. Everybody
has had it more than once, q vision of
a midway. party in which it would be
perfectly comfortable for the man to
vote who believes in progress, but who
doesn't believe in revolution, who be.
licves, indeed, that the best way TO
avoid revolution is to allow room for
progress. But it was vision hard to
realize. Pinchot's party has been run
ming away from the white mark chalked
out for its standing place ever since he
got it together. Instead of being n
liberal party, it has been declining to
be a radical party just as hard as it
can. There may be forces which will
hold it back and keep il about whore
Pinchot and his friends would like
to have it, but they are not in sight.
II is hard to be a liberal. The war
let loose too many passions. Men are
either frightened at what they have seen
living in front of the world and dread
all change or they are angry at what
has lust been revealed of the defects of
present civilization and they want to
hurry into change. They are either con-
servatives or radicals.
& Probably the mass of the delegates
here are right. A moderately radical
program is likely to frighten as many
people as a downright radical platform.
The former moderates have mostly be-
come either conservatives or radicals,
probably mostly conservatives. Prob
ably the men who would ike to stand
upon Pinchot's white chalk mark,
the equator between conservatism and
radicalsm, are too few to be worth
seeking.
Hard Age for Liberalism
1t has been an unhappy time for
liberalism, President Wilson went to
Paris a liberal to return and allow his.
administration to be in many respects
the most reactionary in the history of
the nation. And his party has just in
dorsed the most reactionary aspects
and honored his reactionary attorney
general by making him one of its three
leading candidates for nomination to
the presidency.
LLOYD George went to Paris liberal
and returned to lead the conservatives
of England. The formerly great Liberal
party Of England has gone largely over
either to the conservatives with Lloyd
George or over to the radical Labor
party. Only few remain standing on
the chalk mark which Mr.. Asquith has
drawn midway between the Conserva-
tives and the laborites. Mr.. Asquith
has almost as hard time keeping a
Liberal party in the tie Id as Pinchot
and Record have in placing one in the
field.
And notice this circumstance No one
proposes to name the party to be created
here the Liberal party not even, its
proponents. 1t is felt that the name
somehow would damn 1t. III you are
with an affection for liberalism left in
this world. don't you feel like spolo-