Evening star., 1922-11-06
Radicalism Seems Spent Force in
United States.

The appeal by DR.. Nicholas Murray
Butler for IAN honest and sincere
division of political forces in this
amalgamation of the republican and
democratic parties and which would
have the american people move to-
ward higher ground in international
relations has met with practically
no approval from the press of the
country. DR.. Buffers declaration
follows a variety of suggestions for
the organization of a new party be-
fore the next presidential election.
but opinion seems general that
should any such party be organized
it must prove its right to existence
on a domestic program that will
satisfy the great mass of the Amer
ican people rather than upon one
where internationalism is the chief
issue Dr. Buffers fears OF radical
ism triumphng generally are con-
sidered hardly warranted by existing
conditions.
There is considerable significance
in DR.. Buffers appeal" the Chicago
News independently feels. inasmuch
las he does not stand alone, by any
means. Recently Frank A. Munsey
made a like plea for new liberal
conservative party and severely ar
and present-day democracy as op-
portunist. unprincipled and divorced
from .he issues that matter and that
imperatively demand solution along
positive lines. Lindley Garrison. for
a time Secretary of War in President
W. 70
the prediction that new party would
come into existence before the next
presidential election. The feeling is
widespread that existing party names
and party labels have lost their
meaning" Yet, after all, conceding
of the recent suggestions. and espe-
cially to that of DR.. Butler, "on
paper" the Newark News independ-
en) feels that before the two old
parties can be made to unite. how
ever, there will have to be some
stronger reason for it than DR.. But
ler's fear of spent force like
radicalism.'
DIR. Buffers idea Of separating and
segregating the conservatives and
radicals in different camps is not
original with him." says the Knox
Vile Sentinel dndependent demo-
cratic), but the trouble would come
with the task Of dividing the sheep
from the goats and correctly classi-
fying them. DR.. Butler has chosen
most unfortunate time to sound the
tocsin against the peril of subversive
radicalism. For If there is any clean
cut fact in the world situation today
it is the fact that revolutionary radi-
calism is a spent force. Possibly the
real specter that exciteS and anrightS
DR.. Butler is the impending disinte-
grafton and destruction Of the 1000
900 majority party to wnlch all the
1920 and which they are said to be
preparing to desert the next national
turn of the wheel" 1t is the opinion
of the Atlanta Journal (democratic)
that most Of US can get along freely
enough with two parties. People who
are sick Of both parties may, have
excellent reasons for being SO. but as
q rule, though history presents
notable exceptions, the constructive
reformer learns to work from within.
Americans, when they observe pres
ent entanglements in even 30 common
place a country as England. may well
be content with only two major par
ties and pray never to be pestered
with nineteen" National aims of the
major parties differ within themselves
in the several states. the New York
World (democratic) points out. as
1.-The President and Vice President are
oASSSS~
our government, and they are elected
by a coalition of state parties which
changes from one election to another.
But in Congress, as in the states
themselves. the determining thing is
not the national platform. but the
state or sectional party alignment.
In a nation that has the scale Of a
continent there is something to be
said for Illogical diversity as against
logical uniformity"
Even putting the plan over" the
Raleigh Times Independent demo-
cratic) points out. is not SO easy.
There are nice thinking people who.
in spite of the prodding. pushing,
nagging and puzzling of the illiberals
have attained and still retain posi-
tions of honor, trust and emolument
that they are loath to leave. The
country might have much to gain by
leaving the old parties in the lurch.
but they have somewhat to lose. OF
course II the radicals decide to throw
the liberals out of both parties there
might be some hope Of forming Doc
Buffers republican-democra or
ganization; but the resultant party
would be an outgrowth of that mis-
cry whose love for company has be-
come automatic and not the product
Of liberalism In political thinking"
The Binhamton Press independently
that OaAv.aAh<HAv RrO14t IN