The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-10-31
THE PROPOSED NEW PARTY.

THE PROPOSED NEW PARTY.
To the appeals of DR.. Nicholas Muir
ray Butler and Frank A. Munsey for
new liberal and constructive party,
Charles Nagel of st. Louis. secretary
of commerce and labor in President
Taft's cabinet, has added an analysis
of the existing political situation.
Both parties show signs of disinte-
grafton" he says. "An election con-
test no longer registers the trend of
public opinion. Issues are obscured."
The unifying ideas have faded out, he
continues, and only the shell of party
organization remains. So the people
drift without direction, purpose or
vision.
To put it differently and in the
language of Uncle Chet Thomas, the
people are voting just as they
please" Commenting on the existing
political situation the Chicago News
says:
The campaign for seats in congress
has been a sort of free-for-an fight.
There has been no outstanding issue.
The new tariff has been a subject of
minor Interest in some city centers,
but in. country districts it has been
ignored by Democrats, or damned
with faint praise by Republican party
hacks. Prohibition is not q party is
sue; neither is the so-called soldiers
bonus, and the few attempts to make
it such an issue have been feeble and
ineffective. Foreign policy and inter-
national cooperation have been mem
toned haltingly and tiSuidly, but few
Democratic speakers have made the
league of nations an issue, the others
being afraid of 1T, while Republican
orators have discreetly ignored the
promises of an effective and safe 'as-
ISOLATION of nations" made by Repub-
-ican leaders two years ago. Taxation
and economy have not been discussed
in accents of strong conviction be-
cause the records of both parties ON
these vital issues are hardly creditable.
In some western and northwestern
states the issue has been, vaguely,
radicalism versus moderate conserva-
tism. Regular Republicans are re-
pudiating some Republican senatorial
candidates because of their revolus
tionary ideas-witness Iowa with
Brookhart and Wisconsin with LaFol-
lette. Democratic voters are boiling
party nominations in certain states
witness Missouri with Jim Reed.
Hosts of voters are apathetic be-
cause bewildered and weary of the in
sincerities and obsolete SLOGANS of
stump speakers and campaign man
ayers. Many would vote to rebuke
the present congress for its sins of
omission and commission, but what
would a Democratic house, Demo-
cratic senate is admittedly out of the
question-give them? And how would
a congress divided against itself func-
ton more efficiently than one nomi-
nally controlled by one party?
cert in states thnro nj
cut and important local 1ssues-econ-
Omy, reorganization of the state gov
eminent, budgetary reform, adequate
and reasonable control of public util-
tiles. Such issues are veritable GASES
in a desert of arid and futile talk.
empty boasts and vague promises.
The congressional elections will de-
eide nothing and settle nothing. The
drifting will continue, and voters will
voice mere discomfort and unrest on
every occasion until fundamental
principles again challenge mems souls
and produce issues and leaders capa-
BILE of inspiring loyalty and devotion.
Such principles, issues and leaders
will bring forth that reorganization
and realignment which forward-look-
ing Americans now tentatively pro-
| pose for the sake of the national well
| fare and of elementary intellectual
and political honesty.
What is taking place probably is
what has happened on numerous pre-
vious occasions following an over
whelming party victory such as the
Republicans achieved two years ago,
and preparations for a bolt are in
progress This is what took place
in 1858 when the Liberal Republi-
can" party made it's appearance. This
was followed by the Greenbaek party
and then the Grange movement. The
| Harrison victory in 1883 was sue
ceeded by the Populist movement
which swept the Democrats into pow
er in 1892 with majorities unprece-
dented in the history of their party.
The succeeding election proved that
big majorities were as dangerous to
the Democrats as they previously had
/ been to the Republicans.
The demand for new party there
fore may mean merely that political
history is preparing to repeat itself.
But out of every new party movement,
the old parties always have emerged,
sometimes slightly disfigured but still
doing business at the old stand while
the new parties have disappeared from
! rublic attention.