New Ulm review., 1920-07-21
W.T. Americans Stand For 1t?

w u u f1HCtf CJNIGC OCUICU i VI L u
Disappointed by the utter absence
of public spirit and possibility in
the national conventions of the Re-
publican and Democratic parties, the
independent American people have
succumbed to a sense of deep disgust
for partisan politics in general This
is most wholesome reaction and it
would promise we'll for the nation,
were there no danger of further
reaction toward apathy. The poll
ticians count more confidently than
the people realize on that interval of
time which stretches between the sum-
mer conventions and the November
election. If the election were to be
held today, and if the Last required
half the number of votes cast at the
last Presidential election before a
candidate could be chosen, there would
not be enough votes cast today to
lelect either of the candidates to the
office for which the parties have chosen
them.
Looking back at the work of the two
conventions of the Republicans and
Democrats there is now no choice
whatever between Republican and
Democra candidates, between Re-
publican and Democratic platforms,
or, for that matter, between Re-
publican and Democratic parties. The
people have been treated like children !;
their highest hopes have been fouted;
their best beliefs have been buried
beneath mountains of partisan slush
and filth.
The question now is, will the people
stand for it? Have they submitted to
such bulldozing at the hands of the
politicians and the parties, that they
have lost their sense Of ownership Of
their own gorenment? There is no
question whatever about the wide
spread disgust: The question is, How
will it emerge? Will it die down into
apathy, or will it fame forth into the
protest of a Citizens Movement with
a Citizens Candidate?
These timely questions are asked by
The Dearborn Independent in its issue
of July II, and this journal treats
them in the following manner:
1t is very doubtful that any. party
today has the definite cohesion Of
other years. We hear everlasting talk
about "the party from both Demo
Gratis and Republicans. But where
is it.? 1t appears that the party
consists of the men who meet in
national convention, and no one else.
These parties do what they please
and then go out and bid for the suff-
RACES of the American people. n
There is no reason whatever why the
choice of the American people should
be limited to Cox or Harding, to the
spineless Republican platform or the
dead Democratic platform. The
American people are too big, their
problems too pressing, to permit them
to stand on either platform. IN
Third parties have fallen into dis
repute because their sole purpose here
tofore has been to boost somebody into
office; when they failed to do that they
were cast aside. Theodore Roosevelt
led out of the Republican party the
best blood in it, the young men of the
party whose ideals had not been be-
smirched and whose loyalty to their
country had not been weakened by
party shackels. But, when they proved
to be numerically too weak to elect
him, although they were morally SC
strong as to throw a creative shock
into the conscience and will of the
nation; he left them and went back.
Since that failure, which was the failure
of an individual and not a movement,
third parties have been regarded with
doubts.
But movement of the American
people, in rebuke of both the sub
sernient Democratic and Republican
parties, would not be the usual third
,party''-it would be the Nation seizing
again it's own control out of unworthy
hands.
~ The old parties have no divine right.
What party convention does, need
not be received Loyalty, as if it were
aniact of government. The people
now know-all of the people know
that the last two national conventions
were deliberate caucuses, secret in their
real work, for the purpose of putting
over' on the people something that the
people do not want, and against which
they will be in rebellion before another
four years.
Whether the people will take supine-
ly what is given them, or exercise their
free power to name their own can
didate and make their own platform;
whether they will require that their
nose be rubbed still deeper in the CON
tempt which the politicians have for
them, or will make an end of the
present race of politicians at once,
for the immediate future to reveal.
Will there be a cleanup at Wash
ington under Cox or under Harding?
Certainly there will be no custer of the
secret rulers of the United States under
a Republican or a Democratic regime.
If thapeople want a cleanup, they
must ast at lonce, they must act de-
liberateksthe must aet Withoutrefer-
enee toSg9e prsee eedenH bset by the dis.
credited saFtie ess Janges they must act
with a Qnfaha 1M their supre he
control &E felISE ttalrs. 2e
ls...-.4 4