The Penn's Grove record., 1920-07-23
Democratic Progressive Legislation


One of the anomalies of p~resent-day
politics is the savage arraignment of
President Wilson and his party by the
Republicans for being too radical and
the complaint by all of our radical
parties that he and his followers are
not radical enough. A leader who
loses the support of both conservatives
and liberals may be thought to be in
a bad way, but such is not always
the case.
Four years ago Mr.. Wilson was de-
nounced by pacifists and Jingoes, by
prof. Germans and pro-British and by
those who wanted to prepare for war
on a large scale no less than by those
who were in favor of doing nothing
in that direction. 1t seemed for a
time as though, with such opposition
based on a diverse grounds, he could
have only a little strength at the polls.
Yet he carried thirty-one States and
was elected by a plurality of $4,000.
Seven or eight liberal and radical
factions met in Chicago last week in
an attempt to organize a new party.
Each had a particular grievance and
a sovereign remedy, but all were in
full agreement that the Democratic
Party, notwithstanding its professions
and performances is as thoroughly
encrusted in Toryism as the Repub-
lican Party, which makes no secret of
it's fe%actionary tendencies.
For example, there was a farmers
party which presented many claims,
unmindful of the fact that the only
progressive legislation favorable to the
farmer in a generation, such as %
the Federal loan system, (2) the
Warehouse Act and (3) the land
mortgage banks, was enacted under
the present Democratic Administra-
ton. There was a labor party full of
resentment which took no account of
what has been done in the last sever
years to promote industry, such as
"a the Eight-Hour Law, 90 the
Child Labor Act, co. the Working
mems Compensation Act and almost
a new code based upon the principle
CD that labor is not a commodity.
Besides these, there was a party of
the intelligentsia advocating Govern
ment ownership and control of trans
portation, mining and business in face
of the most extensive essays in that
direction ever known, which, adopted
by the Democrats as var measures,
have involved the country in eXpen-
liquidated. Still another party of pa
triots was indignant over the decline
Of A~mericanism, forgetting that less
than two years ago militant America
stood with smoking guns in hand at
the downfall of the last of the auto
No fault is to be found with conser-
natives who honestly believe that the
country is going to the dogs under
progressive laws. Their state of mind
is understandable. They are in favor
of things as they are, or as they
were, because, whether right or wrong,
they have profited by the situation.
But what are the mental processes of
liberals and radicals who turn as vio-
Iently upon liberality, wen ~radicalism,
as any Junker, and who devote all
their political energy to the destruc-
ton of public men and party organ
i~zations that, to say the least, have
open minds?
There is need in this country of a
great party of progress, one fully re-
sponsive to popular thought, n ma
inclined to experimentation,
not slavishly committed to ancient
forms and prejudices, and above all,
one capable of assessing a new idea
regard to the dollar-mark.
We cannot hope to have such a party
f in every attempt to move forward
t finds the road barred by the imprac-
,icables who, refusing all compromis-
become the faithful promoters OF
privilege and standpatism.-World.