The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-07-16
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.


Copyright 1920
CHICAGO. Julr 16.-Parlor Social
lists have met the real Bolshevists at
the third party convention here, and
viii probably go home sadder but
wiser men.
For the Committee of 4S was largely
a group of Progressives, called radi-
calls and Bolsheyists by their eonserv-
ative friends, but really conservatives
themselves when ranged alongside the
Farmer and Labor groups with their
extreme demands and Grant psychol-
ogy,
But the reader must understand at
the outset that by the terms g farmer
and 'labor" as used in the third party
convention, small minority of agri-
eultural workers and a small minority
of toilers in factories and railroads is
meant. SO radical and Bolshevistic are
the aims of the so-called farmer and
labor groups gathered here that even
the much condemned Non-Partisan
league of North Dakota farmers has
hesitated to get behind the farmer
groups here whole -heartedly and join
in the orgy of agitation and destruc-
ton which the platform of the major
Iity of the committee representing the
| so.called farmer and labor alliance
asked the third party to adopt. Even
Robert M. I.aFollette, regarded as the
radical of radicals in the United States
senate. declined to run on the extrem-
ist platform.
| The truth of the matter is that the
| extremist plainly asked for the near
est approach to Bolshevism that has
vet been suggested in party conyen-
ton or political gathering of equal i'm
| portanee. And they went step fur
Their in gathering to their bosoms most
| al the malcontents in America, inelud-
| ing the people WHO in one breath de-
nounce the league of nations as an en-
| tangling alliance and a provOker of
wars and who in the next breath would
| risk war between the United States
and Great Britain unless recognition
| Of the Irish republic is granted by
both. and the people who want to stir
/ up the race problems of America anew
by granting equal social as well as po-
litieal rights to Negroes, and who want
TO affiliate with the revolutionists in
India and Egypt and enter into a
hearty kinship with Soviet Russia.
Every mention of the Russian Soviet
was eheered, and every reference to
initiating what the workers had done
| in Russia was applauded. 1t was q
gathering of agitators from all parts
of the United States, including meT
who started the outlaw strike on thf
railroads a few months ago and tho
overthrow Samuel Gempers and the
conservative leaders of organized labo1
as a part of their program of chao!
and revolution.
Small wonder that Mr.. Gompers ha'
had trouble REFRESHING radicals in th'
franks of labor And if the minority
had sincere purpose in trying to ge
possession of the labor organization
throughout the country, it might be ;
different story, but the writer was as
sured by members of the Committee
tDf as that this convention was indeeC
/ a revelation to them and that many o
\ / the leaders of the labor groups her
were merely playing a game of labo
/ | politics intended to help them gail
4 the big offices in organized labor TO
\ themselves--simply a case of persona
ambition which is so much deride,
l when individuals give vent to simila
human aspirations in the Republican
\ and Democratic parties.
1t was q good thing all the extrem
I lists in America were gathered togethe
in q single room or at least represent
atives of every extremist faction, fo
the whole thing was like q safety valve
1t was well to allow all the steam t
blow Off The extreme radicals re
vealed their own hypocricies They re
fused even a courteous hearing to til
1 Progressives and liberals who tried
1 furnish political sense to the thir
II party program and guide it along ra
tional lines in a way that, it was cor
tended by George l.. Record of Ne
Jersey, for instance, would convert mi
lions of citizens who might otherwis
close their minds and refuse even I
4 listen to the third party argument. Tt
I Progressives, like Amos Pinchot an
= Mr. Record. argued that as matter {
II political expediency it was not wis
II to go too far in the first year of I'll
II third party's program. ~
II But the word lexpediency was lii
II waving red flag in front of 'bul
III Speaker after speaker from the ranl
II of labor rose and shouted that as b.
Ill tween eXped1ency ana pfnclpie the
III preferred principle no matter where
led them--a splendid manifestation
II fighting spirit, but as valuable in p
II litical meeting as it would be at Il
II battle line if troops refused to retire;
III when commander advised it for stra
II egic reasons or as a Vancouver towal
II ultimate victory The labor group sa
II plainly they didn't even care wheth
II LaFollette accepted the nominatio
II though most of them must have rea
II lied he was their best champion on Il
II stump and their best vote getter. TIL,