Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-11-10
THE FARM BLOC AND
THIRD PARTY TALK
No Party Committed to Class Interest.
Can Survive in . Nation Dedicated
to Human Equality


MO FUNDAMENTAL issue divided the
~ two great parties In the recent election,
and no such Issue has divided them In any
election in recent years. The national cleo.
tions have been for the most part fisht Of
the outs to get In and Of the ins to stay in,
The party in power always accumulates
mass of dissatisfaction on which the Oh.
position works In a campaign. It was dis.
satisfaction with the Democrats that gave
the victory to the Republicans in 1920. 1t
is useless to pretend that the immense ma.
jority for President Harding was a measure
OF the greater confidence the country had in
the Republican Party. Thoughtful commen.
tators ut the time said that the Republican
Party must prove that Il was worthy Of
confidence or It would be ousted as merci.
lessy as the Democratic Party had been
ousted.
The voting on Tuesday was n Icbuke to
the incompetent Congress. rot because It
was Republican. but because it was lncom.
petent. There were things TO be done that
were left undone. They were not Repubi-
can things or Democratic things. They In.
volved the solution Of problems growing out
~
division.
The absence Of great issues dividing the
two parties has led to a discussion OF the
prospects for the formation OF new party
committed to definite policies. The Pro.
gressive Party. organized in 1912 rs a pro-
test against the old Republican organiza-
ton. has disappeared, and former leaders,
like Beveridge, Of Indiana. and PondeSter.
Of Washington, have gone down to defeat
this year. Mr.. Pinchot is an exception that
does not alter the case.
Conditions are ripe for the exploitation
Of the Farm Bloc as new party. Its
congressional members constitute about the
only group with n definite program. This
group is made up OF Republicans and Demo-
Gratis who find themselves able to work to-
gether for the accomplishment of ends to
which neither the Republican nor the Demo.
cratic Party is committed. This bloc Is
likely TO be more powerful in the next Con.
gress than It Is in the present one. 1t can
easily hold the balance Of power. and II
there Is no dominating leader Of either Of
the other parties 1t can readily get whatever
II asks for.
But the Farm Bloc !s, in the long run.
doomed TO the same disaster that overlook
the Porul!sts in the nneties Of the last cen.
tury. Although the things which II dc.
mandS are economically sounder than those
things for which the Populists fought, II
must remain a class party. Therein lies It's
weakness.
No class party has ever been able to sur.
vive very long in the United States. The
reason for this IS simple. America Is
democracy dedicated TO the proposition
that all men are equal, and its Government
is pledged 70 frown upon all special pr!vi-
leze.
There can be no permanent vitality In a
party seeking to secure special Legislation
favoring one group Of citizens AZ the expense
Of the others. 1t may grow up in night
after the manner Of Jonahs gourd. but II
will w!ther as suddenly, leaving those who
sought shelter under its broad leaves to the
scorch,ng heat Of popular contumely.
There Is no greater justification for
party committed exclusively TO the interests
Of the farmers than there Is for a party
committed to the interests Of the school
teachers or the retail merchants or the cot.
ton manufacturers or to the railroad brake.
men. Legislation affecting these people may
be desirable, but It Is not desirable pri-
marlly for their benefit. but for the general
good. When 1t has been passed by the
Republicans or by the Democrats 1t has
been on the theory that !nequities could be
removed only by governmental action and
not for the purpose Of giving special priv!-
leges TO one group of citizens at the expense
of another.