Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-11-09
THE PROGRESS OF RAD1cAL1sM

Tuesdays elections in several states have indi-
|cated-on the surface, at least-a decided tendency
in the direction of radicalisin. To mention but a few
items, we have the election of Shipstead in Mime
sofa, of Brookhard in Iowa, and the LaFollette land
slide in Wisconsin,. 1t is probable that these incl
dents are i'll the main but outstanding indications OF
Ia general spirit of unrest and uncertainty which
|pervades the country. That condition of public SEN
timent accounted in considerable degree for the
overwhelming defeat of.the Democrats two years
ago, and there are now evidences of the persistence
of the same spirit, which has found expression in
some states in the election of extreme radicals, and
in others in the defeat of Republicans by Democrats,
not because the latter are preferred to the former,
but that the former represent the things that are,
and against which there is a tendency to revolt.
One lesson, which seems to be a difficult one to
learn, is that the interest of the nation demands
such simplihcation of our election system as will
permit real issues to be presented to the voters in
Understandable form, without the complication of
party divisions which are not only meaningless, but
which actually obstruct the voter in the performance
of his duty as a citizen. f.
There is 4 today no single issue which divides Re
pubEcans from Democrats in national affairs. Tariff,
bonus, ship subsidy, railroad legislation, treatment
of corporations-take the whole list and search it
through, and not a single subject will be found on
which all the Republicans are on one side and all
the Democrats on the other. When the party whip
cracks the members of the parties may line up in
support of their respective organizations, but that
Il d WdStel VI organization lOyally, anu not OIL con-
~viction in the righteousness of the cause.
If this is true in relation to national affairs, it is
conspicuously true in relation to state matters. In
the recent campaign in. North Dakota the real issues
were. those peculiar to the state. And yet in order
to reach a decision itSwas necessary for the voters
to go through the farce of a party prima ry and to
deal with the absurdity of having candidates stand
ing for principles and policies which were utterly
ifreconcialible grouped together in the same party
column on the final election ballot.
The time is here when we must prepare to make
a definite decision as to whether or not radicalism
in its various forms is to be permitted to encroach
further on the institutions of our country. There
is but one way in which such a decision can be
effectively registered, and that is by, the abolition
from our state system OF, the use of political desig=
nations which, if they ever had any place in relation
to state matters have long since been outgrown.
Then it will be possible for the radicals to name
their own candidates and fly their own Aag-red, if
that color be preferred-and for the believers in
orderly constitutional government to deal with the
situation as they afe able to deal with it by massing
their strength and acting as a unit, instead of %fritter-
ing away their strength by distributing themselves
political parties which have no meaning for
them, and which existence, within the state, is a
menace to American institutions: