The New York herald., 1922-10-05

Democratic parties have no significance
that fits the present day. Each means
substantially the same thing-means a
stand for popular government. Since,
however, we are not by way of chang
ing our form of government, these
party names mean nothing.
1t is not in me to put aside things
that are old simply because they are old.
No more is it in me to continue the
use of things that are old simply be-
cause they are old. l have no such
maudlin sentiment.
If an old machine can give as good an
account of itself as new machine 1t
is the part of economy, the part or COM
mon sense, to continue using It. If 1t
cannot do this II is an economic crime
to continue using 1t. This Is as true OF
political machinery as 1t is of any tangi-
BILE machinery In our vast steel plants
or other great undertakings.
| And so. II the two old parties can
continue TO do our work as well as
strictly new parties could do 1t. should
certainly favor keeping them In the
harness 1t would be the easy way.
But, personally, / do not believe they
can deliver the goods Handicapped as
they are by the accumulated preJudices
of time.
What we want and should have is
service, and we should see to 1t that we
have the machinery that can give us
the service. In our political conven-
| tions it has been the custom or both
parties to dwell at length on their his
toric achievements. This does not mean
| thing to me- What party can do. is
doing, means everything to me.
The salvation of our present situation
would be a liberal conservative party.
numerically strong enough to hold the
| balance OF power against the radical
| forces.
There Is no more conservative section
of the country than the South. The con-
servative people of the South naturally
belong with. and should line up with. the
conservative people Of the North. With
new political parties this would be per-
fectly simple, while 1t is not possible
with the old parties as separate entities
! in the field
To make II palmer: If. for example,
the Democratic party should come out as
the radical party. retaining tho old
| Democratic name, can you fancy that
| men who had been voting the Demo
| cratic ticket all their lives, however con-
servative their sentiments, would switch
over In large numbers to the Republican
party?
And considered from the other side
can you fancy that men who have been
voting the Republican ticket all their
lives, however radical their sentiments
would switch over in large numbers to
the Democratic party?
This is the crux of the whole matter
for the important thing in this situation
is for our voters to enroll with the party
that stands for the thing they stand for
| in their own hearts. And this Is not
possible with the Republican party and
the Democratic party in the field. With
these two old parties out of the way, the
new political alignment of the people
would obviously be in perfect accord
with their sentiments.
But there is one way that these two
old parties could be OF the greatest ser
vice to the country. This is through
consolidation. Still the name-the Dem.
ocratic-Republican party, or whatever Il
might be-would give no indication oi
it's policies. Nevertheless. this combna.
ton of forces would constitute a mighty
/ wall of strength reared against the fast
rising tide of radicalsm.
! can see nothing so important to this
nation as would be the welding together
in a great solid unit of all our citizens
who think alike as concerns constitu
tional government who think alike as
concerns property rights. who think
alike as concerns the institutions of our
Government under which we have grown
into a great, powerful and happy people
Reconsecrated to liberal conservatism
liberal conservatism in fact--ouI
politics would be In much better shape
| than they arc to-day In much better
shape than they have been since finish.
ing the work for which the two ole
parties were originally formed.
With radicalism the issue. with g
radical party on the one hand and q
liberal conservative party on the other