New-York tribune., 1922-12-10
Little Hope for
"PrOgressives,''
Editorial View
No Serious Attempt Toward
Third Party Anticipated
by Newspaper Comment
ing ON In FOlleIte's Bloc
Some Call 1t Menace
Other Publications Refuse
TO BE Disturbed; Farms
Seen Merely as Side Line


sWail comfort in Che newspapers these
aays, Judging from a cross-section Of
ihc county's editorial opinion. Some
editors consider the bloc an abortive
third party movement and others more
.y q troublesome Congressional align
meuti some see IL as menace 20 party
government, others as purely a skolc-
ton in the Republican closet; some are
disturbed. but others refuse to take it
seriously
As 90 fundamentals. there is a pretty
general agreement on The following
points;
There is no chance FOR successful
,hird party movement and no likeli
hood that 10 will be attempted serl-
ously
As Congressional bloc. there is .it-
tlc hope ~ i,s accomplishing anything
but mischief
La Toilette Called Mischlef.Maker .
An tho main reason assigned for
these two propositions is the leader
ship Of Senator La Toilette. "the con-
genital misch.ef-makcr," as THE Phil
adeiphia Inquirer" calls him. The
Philadelphia Evening Bulletin" goes
step further and says: "The' chief
menace 20 the efficiency and eohefenee
OF the bloc is that IL will have too
many leaders for any 10 muster real
following" and The Columbia Is. c.
Record" points out that there already
is O split in the ranks n these leaders
as wide as that between the old guard
Republicans and The orstwhile Pro-
grcssives."
Reason Tor general faith in the sin
ccrity OF thc-th.ld party disavowal is
voiced by "Thc Charleston News and
Courier" under the caption mo Wilder
ness fos Them" pointing out that a
third party "in order to live must be
success from the start" and that
these leaders see clearly there Is no
chance for such success
Significantly enough. the farm bloc
section of the radical-Proeressivc
farm combination comes in FOR COM
paratiyely little direct discussion. The
farmer and his interests are regarded
merely rs the convenient tools that
happened to lie readily 10 the hand Of
the radical leaders ambitions. As The
Philadelphia North American" puts It
la Toilette Is not a true expression
Of the agrarian movement Represent
ing one Of the greatest agricultural
states. he naturally favors the ag-
rarian program. n he represented an
industrial state in the East. his views
would be those o. the labor radicals
It's a Mystery TO Washington
Washington papers see the movement
as more or less vague mystery.
"Does anybody understand it?' asks
"The Evening STAR "Have those who
have formed The bloc on Capitol Hill
end are employing them ia the leg.s-
latiye equation thought out the prob
lem thoroughly? Is there any assur-
anco that In the end a sort Of chaos
viii not result and that We shall not
witrcss the amazing and expensive
spectacle Of every bloc FOR itself and
thc devil take the hindmost" The
Port' ays: The utterances Of the
lender, in the progressive movement
not cniy lail 10 reveal the meaning Of
the quoted term. but increase confusion
OF mind regarding IT,"
on the other hand, Edward C. Lowry,
I'm "The Philadelphia Public Ledger
sees In it an merely "the beginning OF
the joekeying and manouyering for
strategic position preparatory 20 tho
Presidential election two years hence
"Thc Pittsburgh Gazette Times" how
ever. views it seriously as "in no sense
nopular movement, but an attempt
20 overthrow our republican system Of
government by the majority" and THE
Boston Transcript" in lighter motif
but IN the same key. calls It "the logi-
cal result OF the steady transition IN
tbi. country from government b. party
10 government by political prima don
mas"
such Devices Fail. Is View
The movement fares little better in
,be West Labelling il Progressing
p.et,yard.p. "The Chicago Tribune.
While admitting the validity Of the
,yowed purpose, "to drive special priyi-
l.oes out Of control Of government and
,es,ore IL to the people" adds;
asuperaeially and without respect
for errcricnce. these proposals appeal
q, q check upon inordinate aeeomula-
IONS Of wealth. In practice, neither in
tbis country nor m any other have
devices of this sort accomplished what
,.,e bopod for them. On the contrary
,he effects actually flowing from them
hsvc becn mischevioas and not bene-
eeial to the general good"
How red Is the - asks THE
v,,oria Daily Gazette" continling'
with Senator La Toilette organizing
vaot might be called TIE red cedar
g., in the Senate. composed Of the
.,.yrv lads who don't give damn
-, shipstead. Frazier, Brookhart and
I'D with Capper and Norris TO come
nm os reserves vhen needed, and with