The Washington times., 1922-04-02

to groups and localities and
more diffused through the
general population"
dier politicians and professional Ia
Dor politicians to enforce demands
the further fact is that these
have been more or less national in
scope.
The real beginnings Of the era
of special al-interest domination in
party politics were back in the
tariff days OF twenty-five years
ago. when we saw special comDtna-
tions of wool men and machinery
men, and 40 on. each concerned
not with protection of tariff for
revenue as a national party policy,
but with one personal angle
thereof.
ORGANIZED INTERESTS.
We saw numerous bodies Of IN
terested citizens, each with some
special advantage in view, utIlil-
ing every sort Of influence on the
political organizations and their
law-making constituents. and not.d
their successes. We saw the ma
nipulations OF Schedule X, the
operations OF Big Business. he
combinations for this specific pur-
pose and for that and had long
noted the difficulties that any
measure with none but a widely
diffused and popular support en.
conutered as contrasted to the
ease with which a measure Of spe-
cific appeal. backed in a specific
manner, slid through to statutory
form. The American people know
good thing when they see 1t
Straightway, when any section OF
them had any demand or desire.
they organized to make that de-
mand and desire effective. Straight
way. also, when any section Of the
American people had any impraSti-
cal demand or desire they orga nized
to make that effective.
We all took leaves from the
books of the Schedule X fellows
and the high financial fellows AMI
organized. The result IL the vart
number OF organizations, in all
parts of the country. some national
in scope. some sectional, so:ne
local. some economic, some COM
mercial, some sociological, SON.
religious, some reformatory, sonis
racial-there are hundreds Of them
that get, or try to get, SPECIAL
political action by organized pres
sure on the political parties. ] say
special political action because all
governmental actions are political
and must be so under our systerl
OF party government. The political
party in power runs the Govern
ment. and runs II politically.
Modification of existing political
systems, and especially the wide
extension of the principle OF direct
nomination, brought INTO public
life as party representatives q
class of men far more susceptible
to this organization pressure Than
those who were selected under the
old convention systems, for the
reason that a man who must make
his appeal for nomination to the
public is far more sensitive TO
what any section Of the public may
demand than the man who gets
his domination from a party or-
ganization.
The special-interests organiZa'
tions batten on the direct-from- 1.-THE
people official. They claim to be
the people. Therefore, the old
party discipline and respon sibility
begins to fail of effectiveness, for
the reason that the organizations
that demanded special action did
not operate within either party,
but neld over the heads OF the
politicians the menace Of solidlv
combined vote to be thrown for or
against. together with other in.
ducements that have political
strength and susten ince. So far
as their own demands are con-
cerneo most ORGANIZATIONS Of this
sort are fearsomely one.minded
and cailously self-pa rtisan. They
want what they want, and want II
as q unit, or make II appear they
do. II they do not get II they are
not bound by party ties when 1t
comes to making reprisals.
VOTING UNDER PRESSURE.
Take the two greatest accom-
plishments of, organization and
agitation of late years-womon
suffrage and prohibition. Notwith-
standing disclaimers. the real actu-
ating reasons for the votes in the
Congress for the submission OF
these constitutional amendments
to the people were political reasons
the same in each instance. There
is no doubt that at the times these
amendments passed Congress by
the requisite votes that gave them
submission to the Legislatures OF
the States, there was not q re-
quired majority in Congress actu-
ally in favor of them, and there
isn't now. There was . required
majority each time politically In
favor of them. and the reason
there were such matoritiee 10 that,
behind the demand Of the organln-
ton favorine prohibition and suff.
rage, was the menace Of political
opposition to all those who did not
vote as demanded.
The partiea. ~ suoh. dd not
want to make these poiiotse party
policies. They had to. And By 20
doing they advanced their own dis,
intagrations, because they opened
the way wider than over before
to the outer organised prsesures
now operating on them.
II We had real, representative,
vital political parties In this IQoun'
try. both prohibition and suffrage
would have been party polieses, ee..
cause when parties are real ana
vital all suoh subjects Are PATTY
A. -