Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-07-25
Third Party Collapse

a MEASURE of regret will be felt en-
4 tirely outside the ranks OF those behind
the third-party movement, over the failure
OF its promoters to bring all radical poili-
cal forces in the country into common
organization. useful purpose would have
been served If such Il contamination had
been the result of the dickerinE at Chicago
FOR example. the country would have been
enlightened to the exact number OF
peaceful rcvolutionists" there are in
America If the segregation of all the Gle
ments now bent upon rcorsanizng and re-
forming the present representative system
OF government had been brought about the
great conservative bodies OF citizenship com
posing the Older partics-and at heart. both
are conserrative-wOuld know in some def
mite way what opposition they will cncoun-
ter i'll the battles of the immediate future
But this coalition of radicals went by the
board Tho various groups could not agree
upon anything except that the Democratic
and Republican parties are decadcnt; that
both are predatory in their aims. and should
he thrown into the scrap pile before an
other year has passed Upon all else the
laboritcs. Nonpartisan Leaguers. Tn.
Hearstites. the La Follctites the Forty
Fighters, the SinglcTaXers and others dis
agreed. No common ground WAS found
upon which all or any substantial majority
oil these people could stand. aud the result
was Il falling apart of tho coalition the
nomination Of separate tickets by at least
two Of the groups and the organization Of
program of propaganda by each of the
others.
The formation OF the Farmcr-Labor party
can have very little general effect upon The
politics OF the nation this fall. In the frs:
place neither the labor leaders of the John
FITZGERALD liz, r.
brand who attended the Labor convention
represent anything that is solid iii Ameri-
can politics. The Farmer-l.abor party can
not speak for the American Federation Of
Labor or for the great railway brother
hoods. These organizations remained aloof
throughout all the conferences at Chicago.
Not even the Plumb Plan Leagucrs went
into the combination. being held back il
may be assumed. by the bro,hcrhoods from
which the league draws its sincws of war
The Nonpartisan League rcpudia,cd the
whole third-party movement even before
that movement caved in. Townlev boss
of the league, let it be known positively
that he and his associates were not parties
10 any movement looking to merger of
radical clements in this country. This or
ganization has preferred up TO this time to
do its fighting within the ranks OF the Re-
publican party and is attempting in the
Northwest to supplant the Republican or
ganization by defeating Republican ca:,ii-
dates such as Senator Gronna, of North
Dakota. Nor have tho oranges or other
national farm organizations had any part
iii the formation OF the Farmer Labor party
Some little ice may he cut by the organi-
zation OF the third or fourth party. as the
case may he II may draw few thousand
votes here and there and may render doubt
ful certain congressional districts now as
sumed TO he safely Republican But lis
presidential ticket will make no deep dent
upon the country as matters stand today
The chances are that the total of its vote
will be far below that which the Socialists
will cast for Convict Debs