New-York tribune., 1922-12-04
NJ o derate Progressives
See Failure of Whole
Program Unless Bloc
Adopts Rational Goal
Norris Proposal
Viewed as Scare
Abolition of Electors
Would Simplify Task
of Forming New Party
By Carter Field

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3.-Danger that
tho radieal-progressive-farm bloc will
talk Itself 70 death is giving some Of
tho less violently progressive members
serious concern. following the speetac-
ular banquet last night.
Much general talk was INDUCED IN,
and the continuance financially OF the
Peoples Legislative Service" was as
sured, II was said to-day. bui there
are some genuine progressives, men
who are rot willing to throw the Su-
preme Court into the Potomac River.
men who are not ready to scrap the
Electoral College, who fear the les
sons Of the recent election will be
frittered away In idle talk.
The bioes still have a legislative pro-
gram. which IL may be possible 70 put
through II the members devote them
selves 20 that alone and make their
demands moderate enough 10 insure
sufficient support In the two houses,
either from the Democrats or the more
conservative Republicans. At last
nights dinner. however. nearly all the
attention was devoted, as at tho meet
ings earlier in the day, not TO this
program, which seems possible Of
achievement, but TO a lot Of new
things. most Of which are conceded In
the privacy Of Offices TO bo unlikely OF
accomplishment in the next decade.
Norris Plan Misunderstood
Hearty approval, for instance, was
oxpressed by the conference yesterday
Of the plan Of Senator Norris, Of Ne
braska, FOR changing the constitutional
method Of electing n President. As q
matter Of fact, some Of those present,
AZ least. misunderstood the Norris plan,
ard there was some doubt to-day as 70
whether Il was tie Norris plan which
was npproyed or the older scheme
which really called for the election Of
President and viee.Prcsident by direct
nation-wide vote.
does not want to disregard the present
plan Of counting New York as 40 OUT OUT
OF total Of +S5 electoral votes. he
merely wants 10 eliminate the electors
themselves. Under the present plah
/ New York elects forty-fve actual men,
who meet on a day fixed and cast torty-
Eve electoral votes for their party :
candidate for President a curious
feature Of the present system Is that
the forty-fve men might decide 70
vote for any one they please-the can
didate Of the other party for lns.ahso GO
and there would be no legal par 70
Under the Norris plan New Workers
would vote exactly as they do now e1.
cent that there would be no names OF
electors on the ballots. Then New iork
sta,e would certify that II wanted its
fortv-fye votes counted for the eandl-
5ats Who had carried the state. There
would be no formal meeting OF cleo
tors, beeaue there would bo no cleo
tors 20 meet.
The only purpose Of the Norris
ehange-which is vastly diherens
thing from having a nationwide ma
iorItv vote elect a President would be
tbo elimination Of the electors. Inc
advantage Of this, to the radicals, woula osl
be 10 make the machinery OF settinB
up a third party that much easier
Third Party Aim Evident
All OF which shows how their minds
are working. They remember the dit-
heultv which the Bull Moose party IN
cured in 1912 In getting men In some
AZ the states 10 serve as electors Inat
nhysical Job In the states was not An
easy one, even 20 a party which had
miliions of "priyates" In addition 70
he "penerSis." It Is & difficulty which
occurs AZ onco 70 most Of the men now
wondering II they could be commander
in chief in 1924 OF third party when
would have a possibility OF success,
II is not the importance OF the
change under the Norris system when
A. significant. IL is the reason when
resulted in the big conference OF radi-
esis going on record for Il with so
little difference OF opinion that many
newspaper accounts this morning mis-
stated the Norris idea itself.
The radicals. who remember tne
1912 campaign, recall that their ehlei
dleieulty lay In getting men to run
Tor minor Offices In the various states,
even states In which II was evident
that the head Of the ticket would get
q tremendous vote. As for getting men
% hermit the use Of their names on
the ballots as electors, It was the
hardest job Of all.