The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-10-04
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.


BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
| Especial Despatch to The Reformer)
Copyright 1922.
! MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 4.--What has
| become of the Democratic party? To
! answer this question one must ask an
other: What is becoming of the Repub-
/ lican party?
! Consider the situation in three neigh
/ boring Wisconsin, Minnesota
and North Dakota. In the first the
Democrats didn't poll enough votes in
the primary to get a place on the ticket
as provided in Wisconsin law. In Min
nesota, the Democrats have been third
for the last two years, having been SUI
perseded by the NOn-Partisan League
party now known officially here as the
| Farmer-Labor party. And it is now con-
coded that this autumn the Farmer-La-
Dor candidates will finish second and
| third. North Dakota, where the Demo
Gratis have been able to keep a semblance
of party organization by the help of
| those Republicans who dislike the Non
Partisan leagues CAPTURE of the label
| Republican.
| The old line parties. or rather the old
| labels. are merely matters of legal form.
/ There arc two partieS-moderate and
| radicals. The Democrats who found
/ they couldn't use their ballots to good
! effect in one party went over to the Re
publican party and the latter is top
1 heavy with numbers. The old line Re
publicans are uncomfortable because in
side their own party they are now in the
| minority in Wisconsin and it's nip and
| tuck in Minnesota and North Dakota
fer possession of the party machinery.
! Moderates Are Fusing.
Fusion of the moderates-for Repub-
| lIcans and Democrats will combine in
| emergencies of this kinds going on
| openly. People of like way of thinking
viii join with each other against radi-
| callSm, and radicals who believe that in
GER one party label. PROFESSIONALLY
I radical Democrats by the thousands
helped La Toilette in Wisconsin and
are now enrolled as Republicans.
Most of the so-called radicalism arises
| on the farm and is one method of voic-
situation which puts wheat below a dol
| lar bushel. This is the region where
| the farm bloc gathers its following,
but curiously enough, the farm bloc"
/ as 1t is known in the United States SEN
ate and as its supporters here reveal
1 49, pA'SAtfSNs 10 u NbiAStINdAlNB lHStt-
tuition compared with the. Socialistic
groups of farm radicals who follow the
| Non-Partisan League doctrine.
! Although Wall street and eastern
| opinion generally looks upon the farm
| bloc as a dangerous proposition in
American politics. the truth is the farm
! bloc Is one way of preventing something
| worse, namely. the Non-Partisan league
Consider Frank Il. Kellogg, United
| States senator from Minnesota and a
candidate for reelection. For years he
was tied up with corporate interests as
Il lawyer. His whole background is one
Of conservatism. He is the last man in
! the world who could be accused of radi-
calIsm. Yet he is a leader in the farm
bloc and is being attacked as too con
Seryatiye" by the Farmer-Labor candi-
dates for the United States senate.
Some Queer Contests.
| Queer things are happening in this
part of the world. Here is Representa-
tive Nolstead. author of the most widely
advertised law in a generation. fighting
hard for reelection. The vets" are
pouring money and workers into his dis
tIict. IL matters not that Nolsteads
opponent IL as dry as the Sahara-the
point is to beat VoIstead and revive the
despalring thirst of "wets" throughout
the land
Another unique congressional fight is
that of Representative Keller. Republi.
can, who introduced the resolution Ia
lmpeach Attorney General Daugherty
Tor his injunction against the railway
Shopmen. The regular Republican or
ganization has withdrawn its support
from Keller. and is said to be quietly
helping Peter Cody, Democrat ana
J also wet" General dissatisfaction
with keiler's record stirred the old line
Republicans against him.
So with Republicans fighting Republi
! cans and Democrats joining in the quar-
rel, the old Democratic party is van
fishing hereaboutS. 1t hirted somewhat
with the Farmer-Labor party but the
latter thought their label better than
Democrat Political evolution is work
ing to the disadvantage of both the old
; line labels. 1t is only a question of time
when both labels will be erased in state
elections or will become as meaningless
nationally as the label Republican
when applied to Mayor Thompson oil
Chicago, or Democrat" when used tc
designate Mayor Hylan of New York
city.
STRATTON.