Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-01-30
sp1zE THE GOVERNMENT :.

,arily-among us anu oo"'
'''n' horn IN Amcrica-though they
since become unnaturalized-are
,ipp these new styles to us. by
o,p,. y u,oons let us follow the fashion, but
- AN n due regard for our limitations FOR
S,r Il comes to this sort OF thing Eu
has certain inherited advantages
,Vp' :, ;s ouite impossible for us to over
pe' Mess we keep on importing Eu-
OPP Tar regular revolution la Russo
".o terribly handicapped by our
We ann ai nroletariat. 1t is sickenlnels
A,nOro,,s Anlen,,,,s for proper proletarlat, anu
preSSp ptSpr more inclined to, oppress .Ie
is,nos numnsr classes rhan to be opprcsse!;,
:. ttb,s county, where any one WHY NM
r;llnr to be wage save noi ,,,hero
tonrs a day can earn pig pas' r;sa to
anyoVton ton and where anybody who Is
tae ne,e,v can Law By con petence, we
tnrl.'it n fake a 10: to keep up the ap-
Da.e a,ronce of being ground down. Still,
Pc, - Tho only proletariat that we nave
j ro must make the best OF 1t. Ihere
aGu abt w. conceivably be regular revolu
iis"C W. of those who have only six pairs Oh
,!vu u. stockings and Hudson seal coats
cum nS;rSt those with two dozen pairs ana
aEait"', E:nt canes: or bloody uprising OF
aiyvcr owners against the drivers VI
syes and eights; but we shali Proud,o.s ,
have TO be content with something less
intriguing, as our Dest llttic up'ii'ei'
would put it. .,,o o,,, kind Of
yontec revolution that we really need,
-" Suggest that the American nag DC
,'r IN and that press, pulpit and plat,
Town call on the prolet8riat to rise ana
so;zn the government at the next presi-
Sont;al election. For our grievances are
NOT against our form of government,
nbirh has proved itself the most perfect
,ot devised. but against the politicians
who largely select and run the men VINO
run the government
American ProIetariat Inarticulate
With tbe exception of iuconsiderable
rinorities. grouped in tight organiza
tions that pursue their selfish aims re
: rnrdless of the larger good of the ma
iority, the American proletariat, com
rrising in great part the farmers, bank
ers. merchants, laborers, editors. manu-
iacturers, poets, clerks, preachers end
professional men, have been quite in
articulate politically They have. it is
true, been given a chance to express
themselves in cheers. speeches and pa,
rades, but the politicians have expressed
themselves first in the candidates. The
average voter is about as much a part
Of the game as college cheer leader.
And after It is all over he can dance
the boole, if he Graves further express
sion.
The politicians will continue to rule
until this prosperous proletariat of ours
wakes up to the fact that it is not so
prosperous as it could and should be if
it would devote little attention to poll
tics, especially before the primaries !;
until it rises and springs an American
plan coup etat on the politicians.
Several methods by which this revo
luton may h2 accomplished suggest
themselves. The one most discussed is
the formation of third party. Three
years ago such a party was in exist
ence. We're it alive today and standing
- for what n progressive party should
stand in our national life-if it were,
as it should be. headed by broad
minded, businesslike and determined
Amercau--it would sweep the country
at the next election. But it was done to
Il death by its leaders when it no longer
81 served their political purposes and am :
btions; when they thought they saw an
easier and quicker chance to win with
the old crowd. They could not stand
the gaff. They were too short sighted
to see that in holding fast through de-
feat they would have been strengthened
and prepared for victory. No doubt
to win. And so they lost the chance oi
century both to win and to serve.
The Next Administration
No third party that is formed around
the ambitions of any man, or any set OF
men, or any class. or any interest, car
get anywhere in America today. The
slowly cystallizing purpose of the voter
is to rid our politics OF that particular
form of unintelligent selfishness. The
next President and the next Congress
should take Office as one term men. II
they do that sincerely and courageously
refusing to allow their acts to be in.
fuenced by the hope of a second term
they are likely to be re- elected. Blu
only President who is willing to dt
things that will look like suicide to thu
politicians, only Congress that is pre-
pared to kick down the Capitol step
any interest or class that demands spe
n clal legislation at the point of gui
can give the country the kind OF al
administration that it wants.
Essential But Simple Issues
We need old fashioned Americans il
otiice, headed by a grim, determined
business executive-not men who seel
Office for salary or position, but mel
81 who are willing TO sacrifice salary ant
IN position TO take office. We need ye
and no men, not the if and perhap
fellows. r
There is an alternative, in fact, tw'
alternatives, to third party-the Re
i publican and the Democratic parties
Both stand for practically the sam
thing, though no one seems to know
Just wha. it is. Let them continue t.
stand for the same thing, but max
Il 1t something worth while, and then th
country cannot lose.
Il There are certain very big, funda
mental, but essentially simple issue
before us. There is only one righ
policy on these issues, with smal
chance for an honest division o
Il opinion among Americans. In th
settlement of these questions there wi
be no differences as to details; bu
Il these are business details and as sue
they call for the best business brain
and practice of the country, not TO
politician made executives and legis
N lators. ".y
Il As things stand today our two grea
d parties are simply traditions. Votin
Tor the candidates of one or the othe
Is largely a matter of birth and habi
n There is no good reason why the voter
should not stick to their traditions
II provided they seize control of bot
parties and dictate their platforms an
the selection of their candidates.
The suggestion that one party shOul
III become radical and one cOnSprYatiL