Gunnison news-champion., 1920-08-27
PURGING THE DEMOCRATIC
PARTY VIA THE NON
PARTISAN ROUTE


Nonpartisan League c. I. Rawalt
.ays that ! don't and he should know.
lie has been the organizer for the
League, and Is II present editing 4
paper which advocates the principles
Of the League. He has in his make
up something Of the political enlight-
meut which caused ToWnley to evolve
the scheme which Is to save the coun-
Try for the Non Partisan League
and Its allied associations. And. so IL
Is not necessary for Rawalt to give
authority for his assertions. He
Just knows all.
But II he is as careless with the
truth and liberal with malicious in
situations in his discourses concern
ing the League a. he is in giving the
life history Of some of US ordinary
mortals, am afraid that he has done
u great injury by not putting the
League in its true light.
However that may be, it is election
tIme-the saddcst Of all the year
and the Nonpartisan League mus,
needs have all the publicity of the
right kind that II can get. Therefore,
Il bOthers me not little TO think that
Il should seem necessary to assign
10 me 4 liberal apportionment of
good newspaper space which might
have been devoted TO the enlightening
principles of the League. | do not
see just how an offering of political
wisdom and advise. coupled with a
little reminder of my low, weak and
grating disposition, is going to help
out the cause of the League very much.
| should have been glad to cali for
personal interview with the editor of
the Empire and thus receive counsel
concerning things political and chas-
tisement for my behavior in the past
OF course, since Mr.. Rawalt has
repeatedly declared, as he did in last
weeks issue of the paper, that it was
the real purpose of the Nonpartisan
League ito purge at least one polite
al party in a state of its wickedness,"
II is shame that | should pull the
kid stunt" and set up an awful wall
about the time Charlie armed with
his long pruning hook was tripping
lightly into the sanctuary of the Gun
nison County Democratic party. Nat
urally, | got my punishment for not
being good by being the first one to
fall victim to the "purging process
Further reason for my downfall is
pointed out in the last official COM
munique published in the Gunnison
Empire wherein it is explained that
the Democratic party in Colorado
was selected as the object of "house
cleaning" by the Nonpartisan League
because "it is not hard to get all of
the crooks out of the Democratic
party in the state" This announce
men of Nonpartisan League procedure
follows a close analysis" of my pub
lie life, the conclusion of which is
that ! am a crook.
But here is paradox. Anyone who
does not believe in the principles of
the Nonpartisan League, Gas one may
logically assume from the past utter
ances OF Mr.. Rawalt and others of his
kind) is of the class designated
domination of big business" If all
those who cannot and will not sub
scribe to the program of the League
are to be cast out of the party, who
Is going to uphold the Democratic
platform? II one is a true and loyal
Non Partisan Lacquer, he must stick
to the platform of state socialism
like a sick kitten to a hot brick" :"
And the platform of the Democratic
party cannot possibly be harmonized
blessed principles. The aims of the
as, the Democratic party, true to the
principles of our constitution, means
the rule of all classes.
The logical result of the Nonparti-
san League program is not only con-
fiscation of property, but also the
ultimate confscation of labor by the
state. In Russia we find that this
leads TO militarization of labor. Lenin
and Trotsky, in their latest propa-
ganda, are pointing out that there is
no such thing as freedom of labor
The Democratic party, on the other
hand, strives to maintain those Amer
lean principles which in the past have
offered the greatest guarantee of
both freedom of property and freedom
Of labor. Neither of the old political
parties is willing to encourage the
enactment of Socialistic laws which
will kill the individual initiative which
has made America great.
But, if the program advocated by
the Nonpartisan League is such a
lode star for all that is right and en-
Tightening in Government, why is such
"a platform not sufficient to support
a party of its own? II it is such a
wonderful thing and the people who
are guiding the destinies of the
League are such prophets, it will be
only matter of time until a Nom
partisan League political party will
have attracted to itself the majority
Of American voters. And in that case,
it will not have been necessary to be
encumbered with all the crooks in
the old established party, and the
effort used in the "purging process"
can be used to nurture that "live
young thing" which is to become the
giant Of all political parties.
Bolshevism in a state of war and
anything resembling Bolshevism
which is opposed to established con-
ventions and political principles, is q
state of war. So the Nonpartisan
League within the Democratic party
is state of war. If regular" Dem
ocrsts are true to their party princi-
pies, Democracy in the political party
sense and Townleyism cannot live to-
gether in the same political party.
Nh $rx th~ - - n.