Evening star., 1922-06-21
Politics Crowding Other Problems
From Center of Editorial Stage.

With the congressional and state CAM
paigns about to open political topics are
more and more engrossing the attention
of the country's newspapers. Editors
frankly admit that conditions are chang
ing very rapidly and that the recent
progressive successes are of intense in
terest. Comment is less partisan than
usual and editors of both parties are
free in their declaration that party lines
may be found to mean very little when
the campaigns get well under way.
"A new wave of progressism is beat
ing against the fortihcations of the old
guard not unlike that led by Theodore
Roosevelt in 1912" suggests the Port
land Journal independently Not
since that tremendous year have the
BOURBON leaders OF republcanism, the
Wilson's the Lodges. the News and the
Brandegees. felt the foundations OF
their fortresses so shaken by the storms
rolling over a dissatisfied country. 1t
people are thinking Of themselves and
voting for themselves, their homes and
their welfare. not for big business The
Knoxville Sentinel tdemocratic) is
convinced from the result in Iowa that
Clyde l.. Herring, the democratic oppo-
Nent OF Col. BfOOknart- VIII Nlahe d
strong run In November" The Omaha
World Herald tdemocratic) feels the
same way. insisting that the only way
a republican can help make the rspub-
lican party be good is to help wailop it
on election day And they are on their
way, brothers and sisters. to do just
that little thing. The primaries are only
stepping stones to higher things" The
insurgent movement, however. the Chris
tian Science Monitor independently be-
leves, is chiefly within the republican
party. 1t is a most hopeful and en-
couraging exempliflcation OF true Amer
icanism. The word progressive. capi-
talized. has become offensive to few.
but the word progressive, used in its
broader sense. well expresses the indi-
vidual platforms of the millions of
voters. men and women, III the United
States"
Even though Brookhart fails to re-
ceivs many partisan votes at the
election, the Chicago Daily News Gin
dependenD points out, he can lose
thousands of republican votes in Iowa
and still win out. The party organi-
cations, state and national, have
pledged him their support. despite
his rather uncritical radicalism. They
expect him to sober down after his
election and cooperate with the ma
jority' His sweeping victory causes
the Syracuse Herald independently to
suggest that there is "a powerful
surge of unrest and discomfort in the
republican ranks. Some shrewd OBJ
servers say this foreshadows an
epochal realignment of political par
ties" But, after ALL three signal
defeats out Of three for the admins
tration." the St. Louis Post Dispatch
independent democratic) contends
Ought to be notice enough that 1t
was not the intention of the rank and
file of the republican party in 1921
to put reaction in the saddle" And
the Chicago Tribune Gndepende
republican, Is convinced that the
rank and file Of the party has learned
a lesson from past experiences and
that now 1.-The voters are getting what
they want done within the party In.
stead of going outside" The result
also is a distinct rebuke. the Wichita
Eagle independently believes, to
those who advocated abolition OF tne
direct primary system because there
Is such a thing as riding the best
horse too hard and too far"
1t was because the Iowa farmer be-
l,eved that "he had been discrimi-
mated against, the chtef victim OF h1sn
Transportation cost and the special
object of the Vaccinations Of a
money power vaguely known as Wall
street." the St. Paul Pioneer Press
(ndependent) believes, that Brook
hart was successful. In cease Of cleo
tton." the Cleveland Plain Dealer tn-
dependent democratic) Is convinced,
"Brookhart will make himself heard
In the Senate. The Administration
and the congressional majority are
hearing from home" The Des Moines
canitaI (republican) considers the re-
anti "a personal triumph OF Col.
Brookhart." and insists that cit is the
duty of all republicans to stand M Tor
the nomination as made" The
Springfield republican Independently
believes that this is the first sfgnif-
cant test Of farm sentiment in the
middle west" and considers that 1t
foroshadows the defeat of Senator
Mccumber in North Dakota. The out
standing result in Indiana. Pennsyl-
vania and now In Iowa, the Buffalo
Times (democratic) says. "is a three.
fold demonstration Of the truth that
the voting rank and hle can always'
whenever they choose. have the de-
cisive say as to what the party gov
crnment shall be. Party government
is popular government"
ARGUING that the colonel was a
minority candidate because many
voters did not 60 to the polls, the OF
tumwa Courier repub1ican) says
'iess than one-fifth OF the republican
voters have spoken for Brookhart
The outstanding features of the cleo
tion are the utter futility of the pri-
mary system and the deplorable lack
of a sense of civic duty on the part
of a large section of the citizenship" "
The opposite view is taken by the
Sioux City Journal (republican)
convinced a majority of the voters
that he would do more for them In
the Senate than any other man seek
ing their support. Voters this year