Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-07-12
AMATEUR EXPLORERS oRoPE
FOR THE SWEET MILLENNIUM
But They Stop Every Few Minutes
at the Third Party Convention
to FIqht and Turn Bach

WHEN the Republicans and the
w Democrats were fighting and
floundering at Chicago and San Fran
cisco and trying to bring themselves
to clear understanding of their
obligations in reordered world other
groups of radicals, zealots, faddists,
visionaries and crusaders stood on the
sidelines in attitudes of grim detach =
ment and sneered in unison. They
moaned about the shame of pussyfoot-
ing and evasion. Loudly they moaned.
With one voice these insurgent souls
cried out for audacity and frankness.
They chanted upon the theme Of conse-
Grafton and great ends. ''Be splendid, !"
they cried to the multitudes at the con-
ventions. 'Be sublime ~
Now these self appointed advance
agents Of the millennium are having an
opportunity to show what they them
sei-es can do. They have reasons to
know how a child might feel who, having
wept for the moon, had the moon thrust
suddenly into its hands. The conven- :
ton of the politically disconsolate called
to form third party and launch third
presidential candidate is in full swing
at Chicago.
II is not splendid. II is not sub
lime. And we shall see what we shall
see.
Now, it is right and proper to deride
the old fashioned party bosses. Ger
tainly they are an afHiction. But they
have n wisdom of their own that was
wrung from the fires Of hard experience.
They know, for example, that though
platform were written by saints and
seers it could be Of no use to the coun-
try until it was translated into action
| They know, too, that a candidate wear
ing an authentic halo could serve only
an ornamental purpose until you were
able to elect him.
The old parties learned long ago that
it is one thing to formulate great plans
and another thing to execute them. 90
they begin logically enough WIFI
thoughts of and concerns for the major
itv. When bosses talk of harmony they
are talking of fundamental require
ment Of successful political action
Without unified aims nothing is possible
for leaders in democracy. The zealots
: yisionaries, faddists and radicals a.
Chicago still have this simple truth tc
learn. There is no harmony among
them. They are split already into vio'
leptly conflicting groups animated D!
widely divergent views. They have nc
hope and no apparent desire for com
promise.
Amos Pinchot, leader Of the Commit
tee OF Forty eight, has volunteered to
ride the whirlwind and give 1t direction.
He would name Senator La Toilette for
the presidency. But Mr.. Hearst Is in
the way with the American Constitu
tional party, an organization made 10
order in his behalf as the vehicle OF dln
but enduring hopes.
Labor is represented at Chicago by the
Labor party, which includes only rev
of the aggressive unions tinged deeply
with the philosophy of the l. w. W.
The garment workers Of New York are
we'll represented. But Gompers, the
wise old owl of the federation, is con-
spicuously absent in far place.
Mr.. Gompers doesn't want a LABOR
Marty He prefers TO convert one oil
Tho hip parties to pro labor views be-
cause he knows that reaIizatlon Is DeL
ter than hope and that bird IN the
hand is worth a flock in the bush.
u ;s not easy to analyze Mr.. Pin
chot. He appears to believe that Colonel
Roosevelt formulated the only philos-
ophy of government suitable TO TINS
side Of the world But it isn't on record
that he knows of method by which
the Roosevelt doctrines Of 1917 can
be applied for the solution Of problems
that confront the United States under
the changed conditions of 1920. MI
Pinchot is credited with a Willingness
to compromise on Henry Ford.
Mr.. Ford is said to believe that as a
third party president he could get capt.
tai and labor out of the trenches by
Christmas. But he will not have an op-
portunity to express that hope at Chi
capo because the Single Takers and O
nowcrful element in the Nonpartisan
! League are arrayed stonily against him.
Delegates of these factions view Mr.
Ford as a capitalist with economic
views hopelessly opposed to their own
and therefore intolerable. 1t Is the
single Takers who have been advertis-
ing Senator la Toilette as a tool OF the
interests. They said they would have
none of La Toilette. But their concern
was needless. La Toilette has refused to
accept the third party nomination. lie
has a smattering of Gompers's wisdom,
Glenn Plumb, originator OF tie
Plumb Plan for federal rail ownership,
is one of the looming possibilities. But
the Nonnartisan League and the Uni
ted Farmers view Plumb with distrust,
They regard him as an immovable par
| tisan of organized labor, and in the
western agricultural areas the prestige
which the industrial unions gained dur
ing the war created great deal Of envy
and some unrest. Some Of the farmers
groups will bolt If Plumb is nominated,
The Single Takers will bolt If a
Single Taxer is not nominated They
have served notice to that effect
upon Mr.. Pinchot. The Nonpartisan
Leaguers are credited with al ardent
desire to nominate Boss--some call him
Bishop-Townley their chief and
prophet. The Socialist Labor element is
for Eugene Debs. But in many OF the
delegations there are groups pledged to
fight Debs because of his war record
La Toilette would be fought on similar
grounds by Single Takers and others.
Honors may go to a Mr.. Beach, of
Hartford, Conn, who has widely ad =
! NJ