Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-11-15
PRoGREssIvEs TAKE COMMAND

A new order of things is apparent in the management of the
government. There is much talk of third party Just at present.
This may be due to the recent election, but j" il so apparent that
the American people as a whole are dissatisfied. 1t is no longer a
question OF radlcalsm against conservatism, it is question of just
how radical the country will be; the fine point is being drawn be-
tween the radical and the progressive. The conservative is pass
ing out entirely.
More and more the spirit of the West is exering itself. The
real leaders of the future will come from that section. We have
already seen the beginning of this in the so-caIled farm bloc in the
present congress. This bloc stands together regardless of old
party affiliations. The recent election has greatly strengthened
this group and it is freely admitted that they hold the balance of
power today.
It has been apparent for a long time that the difference be-
tween the Republican party and the Democratic party is mainly
in name only. No great national issue or vital policy stands ont
between them. In the old days there was a question of state rights
and later the tariff. Today, however, a centralized government
at Washington is admitted to be essential and, just as free trade
passed away long ago, so is the slogan of a tariff for revenue only
going into the limbo because many of the Democrats coming from
different parts Of the country, especially from the South, want pro-
lection for their various products. This leaves nothing for the two
old parties to fight about.
Even the prohibition issue is lost, although in this part of the
country it is generally admitted that the Republicans have taken
the "dry'' side, while the Democrats have been looked upon as
the "wets.' But in the South the Democrats are the "drys'
and as the "soid South is a big factor in the Democracy, the
two parties cannot make an issue out of that, especially as the
Republicans in this section, since the last election, are leaning de.
cdedly toward the ''wets' themselves.
1t is plain that a new alignment is necessary. At the present
time there are socalled progressives in both old parties and there
are also conservatives IN both. The progressive Democrats and
Republicans are closer to each other in principle than thew 70
the more conservative members of their own parties. 1t is absurd
that men like Lodge and Longworth should be in the a marty
with men like Borah and LaFolette. In principles and ideas of
government they are as far apart as the poles. Likewise, how
can the Democratic party include within its membership men as
different in ideas and principles as McAdoo, Underwood and
Myers, and "Jim'' Reed and Bryan?
Of the two parties, the Democrats have always been consid-
cred the more liberal. But there are a great many progressive
Republicans who refuse to acknowledge that the Democratic party
S the liberal organization before the country. There is already a
movement on foot to get these various representatives of the
--.-: -;~u-n &c 6A+h ~o+;o. 4onNEN. Will. Il III
a new party or not remains to be seen. 1t does mean, however.
that the progressive element is aggressive and the progressive
principles are going to be more and more adopted. 1t is in a-
cordance with the times. 1t is seen in Russia, in Germany and in
Italy. The masses of the people are making themselves more and
more felt. If this republic is to continue to be a country of the
people, by the people and for the people it has got to join in the
progressive movement and adopt principles that, a few years ago,
were considered radical This is the way the world moves forward.