The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1920-07-16

showing the discomfort OF Che amer
lean people, outside of the agricul-
tural and industrial groups, will
make interesting reading at this
time. 1t will appear in as an edi-
toriaI in Henry Ford's paper, the
Ford International Weekly, the Dear
born Independent, tomorrow:
Disappointed by the utter absence
of public spirit mad responsibility IN
the national conventions of the Re
publican and Democratic parties, the
Independent American people have
succumbed to sense of deep dis
gust for partisan politics in genreal.
This is a most wholesome reaction
and it would promise well for the
nation, were there not danger OF
further reaction toward apathy.
The politicians count more conf
dently than the people realize on that
interval of time which stretches be
tween the summer conventions and
the November election. If the cleo
tion were to be held today, and if
the law required half the number
of votes to be cast as were cast at
the last Presidential election before
candidate could be chosen, there
would not be enough votes cast today
TO elect either of the candidates to
the office for which the parties have
chosen them.
The Republican Convention was
openly and shamelessly dominated
by the financial representatives Of
the powers that pull government in
fluences like strings. The party's
own methods were clogged and soiled
with shameless money scandals. Pro-
gressivism and clean republicanism
were snubbed insulted and crushed
at every turn. The delegates were
euchred, wearied driven and de-
ceived. And the candidate who
emerged from this chaos was even
more colorless than the Republican
Platform, if anything more colorless
can be conceived.
The Democratic Convention was, If
anything, a degree worse, because
there was an attempt made at San
Francisco which had no parallel at
Chicago - the convention was at
least given a flaming opportunity to
declare it's adherence to the moral
advance made by the American peo-
pie with regard to the liquor traffic:
But the hand of the defunct and
disgraceful whisky business was
heavy upon the men who controlled
that convention. Paid agents, who
were both public officials and private
retainers, were evidence everywhere.
| There was no question, not even the
League of Nations, which received
the slavish attention which booze re-
ceived. The whole convention re-
sembled more "hang over" from
the saloon regime than gathering
of American citizens selected to for
mulate policies for the solution OF
the problems which harass the ma
ton and the world. And a candl-
date, as unknown and as amenadle
to control as the Republican candi-
date, was put forth for the high Of
flee of President.
The defeat of McAdoo and the de-
feat of the movement to insert a
wet plank in the platform were the
two strong actions of the Democratic
| Convention, but these were neutral
lied by the selection of Cox. The
McAdoo candidacy was one of the
most cleverly engineered pieces Of
political shrewdness in the party an
nails of the United States. That
| it was heavily financed is a fore
gone conclusion, but the utmost en-
deavors of skilled Investigators fail
ed to reveal its source, that is, with
degree of certainty that would
justify public exposure. It's source,
however, is generally known, and the
defeat of McAdoo was more than the
| defeat of a man: it was the defeat
of a group whose exposure and the
destruction Of whose power is the
most needed reform in the United
States and the world today.
There is now no choice whatever
between Republican and Democratic
can iidates, between Republican and
Democratic platforms, or, for that
matter, between the Republican and
Democratic parties. The people have
been treated like children; their high
est hopes have been flouted; their
best beliefs have been buried beneath
mountains of partisan slush and filth.
The question is, will the people
stand it? Have they submitted to
so much bulldozing at the hands u
the politicians and the parties, that
they have lost their sense Of owner
ship of their own government?
There is no question whatever
about the widespread public disgust;
the question is, How will it emerge
Will it die down into apathy, or will
it flame forth INFO the protest Of q
Citizens Movement with Citizens
Candidate?
1t is very doubtful that any party
today has the definite cohesion of
other years. We near everlasting
talk about "the party" from both
Democrats and Republicans. But
where is it? 1t appears that the
party consists Of the men who
meet in national convention, and no
one else. These parties do what
they please and then go out and Did
fol the suffrages OF the American
people.
There is no reason whatever why
the choice of the American people
should be limited to Cox or Hard
ing, to the spineless Republican plat
form or the dead Democratic plat
form. The American people are too
big, their problems too pressing, to
permit them to stand on either
platform.
Third parties have fallen into dis
repute because their sole purpose
heretofore has been to boost some
body into office; when they failed to
do that they were cast aside. Theo-
dore Roosevelt led out of the Re-
publican party the best blood in it,
the young men of the party whose
ideals had not been besmirched and
whose loyalty to their country had
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