Evening star., 1923-07-18
Politics at Large !
by N. O. MESSENGER

ST. PAUL, Mdnn., July IL
Last Mondays election for the
United States senatorship in Mime
sofa. resulting In the election of
Magnus Johnson, candidate of the
farmer-labor party. by an an'oyerwhelm-
ing majority cannot be underesti-
mated In Importance as Indicative of
great movement going on in this
country of unrest. and radicalism.
This movement is not confined to
Minnesota alone. but extends through
out the northwestern states and is
creeping into the intermountaln re-
sion and reaching out into Oklahoma.
nebraska and Kansas. There are
signs OF Its creeping into Iowa. It
exists In Wisconsin and may be ex-
pected to enter Michigan For the
central states and the east to scoff at
IT and even ignore 1t Is the worst
polltical and economic folly possible.
The outstanding features Of the
movement are the intent to overturn
ana destroy the old political parties;
to substitute radical doctrines for
conservatism; to assail the Supreme
court OF the United States; to urge
government ownership and paternal-
Ism; to attempt political and economic
experiments which have been tried
before and have failed; to try to sup
plant natural economic laws with
legislation. From the viewpoint of
experience. an effort to lift ones self
Dy the boot straps. But it is worse
than that. 1t contains all the ele-
ments Of destruction and nothing of
. What are the underlying causes NJ
the movement! Unrest. resulting
from economic and natural conditions
winch are not susceptible of cure
through political agitation nor bv
ieeisIatfon, In the light of history
ana experience. The practical politi-
cal results which have thus far been
accomplished, startling as they are
are omlnous, have been attained nv q
union or forces between the farmers
ana certain sections of Organized
,,ir um'on iaDor. They have been con-
1t
tneir aims are analogous and can be
ballot box. at the
me result in Minnesota shows that
ollcials can be elected TO of,ce hv
ha a. comoination. but 1t Is yet to
can De attained in legislation The
combination of votes can turn ont
tne Ola parties. but the new Marty
which comes in will find itself worL
ing 10 opposite detectives In legisla-
Labor wants higher prices for its
work, which means increasad . III ils
Ine products of labor. which M
farmer must use. The farmer al
complains that he has 10 nav
Iuil ooliar for what he buys but onlv
seps mar dollar for what he sells
the academic phase Of the .tt,,o.iail man
"hIch TINS chapter set out TO dfscuss
the appilcation of current events 70
present-day political conditions in
the country.
x%
Here You are facing practically the
obvious indications of great ,rde-
pehdeht and revolutionary movement
In politics. 1t looks like a drift
toward a third party. a party of pro-
test rather than of construction.
party that is dissatisfied with condi-
tions and cropping about for means
or changing them-changing them to
something hardly yet. definable, but
at least representing: a change. Min
ffeseta and-North Dakota have shown
aosoiute defiance Of old party lines
and have torn them to pieces. Min
lesola was once banner republican
state and so was North Dakota.
t,af rafey lines have disappeared in these
states IN the verdict of majorities.
and doctrines and principles which
neither of the old parties could coun-
tenance are represented in the super
seding majorities.
1t may be considered doubtful
whether all who voted for the farmer
LABOR party and the Nor. Partisan
League candidates fully subscribe TO
ali the s1enets embodied in the plat
forms Of the. new organizations. It
may be that they do not all believe in
tne hampering of the Supreme Courts
power to declare an act of Congress
unconstitutional. not all of them in
ownership of railroads
and other radical propositions thai
have received the approval of the
voters or Minnesota by a great ma
demanding change in existing po-
iltical rule in this country. That Is
II. change; and, of course, a change
In the existing political alignment.
both democratic and republican. on
economic policies would necessitate
the creation of a third party.
+ y
In the east William r. Hearst has
suggested third party and has rec
commended Henry Ford to head it. Mr.
Ford's managers and hackers have
intimated the possibility of his talk
ing the leadership of a third party.
Will the result in Minnesota encour-
age the movement for a third party
which would take in all the restless
and radical elements of the electorate?
distinction should be drawn be-
tween the restless and the radicals.
The majority rolled up in Minnesota
by Magnus johnson. the candidate of
the farmer-labor party, is more rest
less than radical. That was evidenced
at the joint meeting in Chicago be-
tween the farmer and the labor eIe-
ment, which was captured by the
radical labor element. resulting in the
withdrawal of the more conservative
farmers.
The votes that went to Magnus
Johnson last Monday came from an
element of citizenship which ought
iiot NC SidSSiHed dS TdQlcal. They
were German. Norwegian and Swede.
solid and conservative people. owning
their lands and with a stake in the
country's welfare.
But they wanted a change. They
were suffering from certain economic
ailments which they were told by
agitators were attributable to poll
tics and to the political party in
power. They could see no outlook in
the future for amelioration OF condt-
tions. They were led by a man whom
they considered one Of themselves,
'sdirt farmer" and who asSurod