The Washington times., 1922-04-02
NOT SCRAP BOTH POI ITCAL PARTIES?" ASKS SAM BIYTI

ganizers of that pressure who have
taken the special-interest view OF
national affairs and not the gen
eral-interest view. 1t runs back to
callous selfinterest both ways. and
II leaves a, large proportion Of the
people of the United States dis
estrously disposed between shrewd.
selfish and sinister organocracy on
one side and cowardly and non
representative governmental de-
mocracy on the other.
The character and processes OF
a nation must be judged by the
government of that nation. because
the fundamental of nationality In
government. The true government
Is representative of everything
the nation has, and especially rep
resentative Of it's people; and from
that standard government grades
off TO that which Is represe entativs
of merely few of it's people. or of
the special interests within its bor-
ders. True government In directed
and sustained by the free play of
public opinion. This Government
-ours-a party government, so
called--ls not sustained nor IL II
opinion. 1t Is managed, directed,
legislated for and conducted in re-
sponse to specifically organized
and controlled and coerced opinion,
enforced by organizations that
make their own narrow appeal, and
compel their special demands.
The Agricultural Bloc.
Not so long ago Senator William
8. Kenyon. Of Iowa. since trans
formed into a Federal Judge by
President Harding for whatever
reasons may be. said: The United
States is overorganized, and at
the expense of public opinion. The
safety of this country lies in a
consensus of judgment among in
telligent people. We are drifting
toward a condition in which it In
impossible to get this consensus
when every industry and every
avocation is closely and effectively
organized"
Always conservative, the Sena-
tor said drifting" rather than
have drifted," but deeming il un-
wise or inexpedient to try to stem
the tide, to retard the drift, the
Senator thereupon stepped three
PAGES to the front. perhaps to
prove ne knew what he was talk
ing about. and organized the us-
ricultural bloc In the United States
Senate. concerning which. IL you
should ask any person familiar
with its operations and objectives.
you would learn this: Among all
our organizations for the purpose
Of obtaining specific legislative ana
political ends there exists no or
ganization Of any avocation or m
dustry closer or more effective
than this organization, not only OF
the avocation and Industry or
agrarian politics, but Of the voca-
ton thereof as well.
EFFECTS PLAINLY SEEN.
II you arc seeking for an eN-
act and explicit example OF the
effects OF organization on govern
ment and hence on politics, the
agricultural bloc will furnish that
example. 1t is a perfect pattern
of a closely and effectively organ-
lied special interest operating on
q legislative body, a flawless spec.
linen Of what the 'disintegration OF
tfic tWo pdiNic mas
brought about. 1t is made up Of
Republicans and Democrats who.
seeing and knowing the futility of
party membership and party OBJ
servances. the lack of party leaI-
ership, and the absence Of party
policy save a weak expediency 10y
the majority and a noisy obstrIc-
tionism by the minority, and un-
ahlA IN IA dnSirnd NnQi.la
party lines, Joined together and
operate outside and for specia.
ends.
In Its ways it typifies what hap
pened in the 1920 election: Born
Of protest. party ties do not bind,
and. extra-party steps were taken.
II was the extra-party vote that
elected Harding 80 overwhelming
ly. II is a natural outcome Of pres
sent political condition The Unit
ed States Senate has b,en subject
ed to 80 many coercions by outside
organizations during the past twen-
ty years and the utmost expert
ness was to be expected when in
siders went at the business Of coer-
cion themselves.
PARTY POLITICS.
The theory that former practicc
Of party politics are that the party
organization, the administrative |,
body erected within the party, Is
the instrument whereby the poll
cies, beliefs, wants and principles
of the party membership are put
into governmental effect. The
party organization Is the executive
heal of the party. the directorate.
Party membership is that body
of voters, in all parts Of the coun-
try. who hold certain policies and
principles, either loosely or firmly.
and look TO the party organization
to maintain them. Party decay
begins at the moment when the
party organization ceases to be
popularity representative and po-
litically paramount and allows its
actions and decisions to be con-
trolled, swayed or ordered by any
influence save the expressed ma
jority opinion of the bulk OF the
party membership.
Party control Of government
means. fundamentally. not only
the direction of governmental ad-
ministration but the selection Of
governmental administrators and
the rewards Of governmental per-
quisites and prerogatives.
These have always been the OBJ
jects of active politics, and so long
as the great party organizations
maintained policies of Republican
ism for RepubliCans and DemOc-