The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-02-11


Dor has already declared war on those
not in sympathy with its program and
principles, and though, it proposes to
conduct this war through the primar-
les In accordance with its conservative
traditions and policies and not through
an independent movement OF its own,
there is within it and within all la.
Dor organizations a radical group of
extremists who may not be satisfied
with conventional methods. Social
ISIS of the Berger type will not be
content with moderation in word or
deed and the I. w. w. and all its red
leaders and followers, whether of the
slums or of the parlor, may insist on
trying out politically tho principle of
self-determination. Still aaothe.
group, in which extremes maet
composed OF those who protest agains
Government autocracy in regard to tn
exercise of free speech. Some OF
these represent American constitution.
alists, who view with alarm the VIC
lation of principle, even when It Is
violated for ostensibly good purposes.
Others Of this group are not concern
ed about the preservation of consti
tutional guarantees, but only for the
freedom OF unrestricted propaganda.
These or some of these may regard
free speech as the keystone Of any
acceptable party declaration. Next,
but not least, come the two "wet"
and dry groups, each of which re-
CARDS Prohibition as the overshad-
owing issue. Mr.. Bryan has already
announced his intention to force the
Democratic National Convention to
adopt a bone-dry plank, while, on the
other hand, the Anti-Prohibitionis
are rallying around the standard Of
Governor Edwards of New Jersey. II
Mr.. Bryan loses, the party stands to
lose the thick-and- thin Prohibition
vote; If he wins, it will lose all the
thick and-thin wet vote. II neither
Republican nor Democratic party
should satisfy the Prohibitionists, they
might have to go It alone under Mr..
Bryan's leadership. But with that
dry plank the majority of the labor
vote would feel no sympathy, no mat
ter what else Mr.. Bryan might tempt
them with from his alluring box of
tricks.
A group that has not yet made It.
self strongly vocal, but which is in
impressive evidence. is class Of
Americans whose position with re-
spect to the perding campaign Is I'M
questionably Interpreted by such "
declaration as that made by Mr.. Hoovs
er in New York Sunday and published
in yesterdays Sun. His statement
may be called the announcement Of
the terms on which he would accept
from either party nomination for the
Presidency. He states explicitly
where he stands on the great ques.
tons of the day, with the exception
OF prohibition, which he does not dis
cuss directly. he is for the League
'of Nations, with reservations that will
safeguard our Constitution and tradi-
tons. The League, in his view, is
essential to reconstruction and safe
economy in military policies. He
could not vote with a party which
seeks to set aside constitutional guar
antees OF free speech or for free rep
resentation or who hope to re-estab-
fish control of the Government for
profit or privilege" And he could
not vote with party dominated by
groups who hope for any form of So
cialism, whether it be naturalization
of industry or other destruction OF
individual initiative" He does mot
believe in more than two parties"
and he does believe in party organi.
cation as means of accomplishing
great policies. No "one man can die
tate the issues of great parties Along
with millions of other Americans, he
Is waiting to see what the party man
ayers stand for" before he can decide
what party he can support "in this
new period of American life."
No wonder this statement stirred
up Washington. It did SO because the
politicians there, great and small, be-
gin to realize that what may be called
the Hoover group of Americans-that
is, Americans who are for America
first and party second-are going to
decide the election of 1920. They, like
Mr.. Hoover are waiting to be shown
by the managers what the two parties
stand for. They are nonpartisans and
they are millions strong.
What is clear now is that the party
managers will not be permitted to-
camouflage their platforms. A plat
form this year will have to be clear
as crystal, straight as straightness,
positive as a thundef-ciap. Neither
party viii be permitted 10 take rer-