The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1920-01-23

With the national convention sett-
ing the pace and example, the same
performance, of course, would have
been reproduced in miniature in ev-
cry state convention and local post
meeting in the country. Picture the
JOY of the practical politician were
the local posts of the Legion a sue
cession of hivinp political camps, bar
tering and trading with the old timers
for patronage and support. Picture
state or county machine getting be-
hind the Legion's bronzed candidate
for constable in return for the Le-
gion's support for the machines i'm
peccable candidate for governor. Pos
sibly with an appointment as assist
ant warden thrown in to boot, if
shrewd bargain were driven. For, had
the Legion's vision of its true mission
been SO dwarfed as to lead it into the
wilderness of partisan politics, it in
evitably would have gone into these
practical plays for patronage, prestige
and preferment.
1t is merely trifling detail that it
would have required at once a divis-
ion of The American Legion into at
least two great parts-The American
Legion Auxiliary to the Republican
party and the American Legion annex
to the Democratic party 1t would
have been bit early to expect life
long party men in the Legion to adam
don their parties completely on a ma
jority vote of their new organization
The American Legion
But the united men who were in
service saw a duty that could be per-
formed by aloofness of their organi-
cation from party cntanglements.
They were practical enough to know
that there are a lot of things out of
killer with our political life. At the
same time they knew that fundament-
ally the government is sound enough
and good enough for any human be-
ing, idealist or otherwise. So how
quicken the political life and con-
science of the country? How bring
ideals. and the practical everyday ap-
plication of those ideals into closer
cooperation Through political par
ties, no doubt; but certainly not by
jumping pell-mell in the heat of a
white-hot political campaign which
meant division of the ranks at the
outset and an ultimate assimilation by
political parties.
The mistake is frequently made of
ruling The American Legion out of
politics because of its Minneapolis ac-
ton. 1t should be clearly understood
that The American Legion is very
much in politics. Its members belong
to political parties, and no doubt they
will keep up their utilization with |
these parties. AS individuals they are
free to become candidates, and no
doubt there not only will be a demand |
for them in public life but response
fully great enough to meet all de-
mands.
But they are merely keeping their
collective voice free from party en-
They are not KEEPING
their organization out of the political
life of the country but out of the !
clutches of the practical politicians. If !
The American Legion as an organiza-
ton has chosen to hold aloof from the |
old parties. if it is going to work thru
them rather than with them. it is be-
cause it does not intend to burn its
bridges behind it and be absorbed in
to nothingness. 1t is because it pre-
fers to watch the political parties of
the present and see that they meet, as
they must meet, the standards of an
inevitable new era in American poll
teal life. 1t is because it prefers be-
ing political spur to being a political
asset
We believe that, far from "muffine
its mission" The American Legion
merely escaped its extinction when,
at its charter convention it refused
to divide its strength into rival poll
teal camps and cast it's hat with a
whoop into the political arena-The
American Legion Weekly.
Customer-How can one tell the