Weekly journal-miner., 1922-11-29
THE THIRD PARTY

( A 1 "A tenn differ as to the probabilities of thirt party at this time. The New Republic, a Hbera weekly, thinks that there is more smoke than fire to this post-electon talk and we are inclined to agree with them.
 There will be, of course, some reformation ir both the republican and democratic parties. The rejection of many republican candidates for con gress is regarded in and out of the ma ority party as tip from the people to do better and there arc great prospects of lberalizing the administration President Harding Is said to be thoroughly in line with this policy, and ready to pass by the advice of the stand-pat element which has had its share in the governmental affairs since the 1920 election On the other hand the democratic party is meet ing republican pig-headedness with nothing better than harsh criticism irritating delays and attempts to discredit the administration. This Is the big year of opportunity for the democrats but they do not seem to have begun capitaIzing it by offering constructive program superior to that of the dominant party.
 The call of Senator Lafolette for the progres- sive bloc meeting is inspired by the administra- ton's continued backing of the shipping bill, which has a bad odor from that unfortunate word Subsidy" and is certainly not generally regard ed as the most outstanding liberal measure that oud be put up. f'fs
 MT. Lafollette IS in a position Of considerable difficulty for himself Since the war, when he ceased to be the center of attention he has re gretted the loss of the spotlight, and now, with William E. Borah continually mentioned as the progressive leader and presidential possibility, it behooves the Wisconsin senator to restore him self to the pedestal. The call of the progressive bloc meeting for December suffices to direct attention again to the man who won so over whelmingly in his home state in the recent cleo tion, and who hopes to begin transating that strength into national terms
 Meanwhile there is goodly element of the re publican party, formerly of the most conservative type, who faithfully believe that if the country is to be saved from another interregnum of demo cratic rule in 1924 none but Hiram Johnson can be put up by the republicans.
 Governor Hunt is right in his estimate that the reforms hoped for can better be worked out through the existing parties-he speaks naturally in terms Of the democratic party. MT. Hunt has "hberalized" the Arizona democratic party with a couple Of vengeances-one on September 12 and the other November T.
 The drift away from both parties is insufficient
 
 and there probably never will be one Bloc legis- lation during the period when war-recovery in the United States has depended so much on stiff party line-ups for the definition of policy, has savoref too much of the ridiculous state of affairs i'll the European countries where as many al dozen parties may be represented in the law-mak ing body, and none of them worthy of the qualifi- cation major England has five or six parties represented in the new parliament but escapes the dilemma of Germany because one of those parties IS so largely represented as to make strong gov ernment, with opposition well divided
 We want no divided opposition in this country Better to scrap both republican and democratic names and reorganize as conservative and liberal and then let the people line themselves up behind such leaders as each party evolves
 This evolution will be a long process, and will not be far enough advanced in 1924 ito enable anyone to discern tke marked difference in policy that must distinguish the parties if they are to be other than the fetishes they now represent.