The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-14
Secretary Board of Commerc,
An Analysi. of Parties

To the Editor of The Age-Herald:
 Various and varying analyses of the election of November 7 have been attempted. Some deal fuhy with particular phases and guard edly discuss others, but, it's deeper significance is touched lightly and even yelled. Explanation may be found in the influence of partlsans of the bipartisan theory of govern ment who prefer reading into the election a "blank" rather than an adverse truth. A prominent syndi- cate writer who, apparently, has the ear of the administration, de- nominates the result as a mere dem onstration of negative obstinacy. This is obviously incorrect and will be accepted only by disappointed partisans.
 To the discerning whose interpre- tation embraces fact rather than fancy, the election was revolt against reaction in individuals as well as parties. It cannot be con- strued as backswing of blanket indorseent to the democratic par ty, considered in connection with it's recent overwhelming repudia- tion, and it certainly was a repudia- tion of the Harding administration thus far in it's career; and the course of the administration since the election only accentuates the dis satisfaction. So it seems apparent the logical interpretation is that the voters entertain hope through pro- gressive principles administered by progressive representatives who will not permit their conscience to be strangled by the party halter.
 Since propaganda has almost tradition of bipartisan theory of government, the voters could ex- ercise little discrimination except as to individual nominees. That they did this is evidenced by the radical hue of the new congress. -partisans, near-socialists, pro- gressives and reactionaries are all found under the old party nomen- clature; and the progressives are cooperating with little regard for party lines. The line of demarca- tion is economic; the political di- vision has degenerated into a mere machine for the control of the spells of victory. The reaction from this condition presages the passing of government by sectional and party prejudice; and an awakening to the evils and dangers of a partisanship Washington deplored and tried in- effectualiy to eXtinguish. Party government may not be eliminated, but partisanship can, and the pres ent rigid lines broken and elastic realignment substituted.
 The recent failure of the ship subsidy strikingly illustrates the failure of party government when its policies are repugnant to honesty and decency. All the force of an administration in overwhelming ma jority made that measure a test of its strength and the standard of it's politics. The fallacy of partisan government is admitted and em- phasized by partisans themselves when they reprobate the injection of party politics into the considera- tion of some question conceived to transcend partisan importance. If the larger question can be better handled through united effort than party division, certainly smaller ones can also; and from this prem ise it would seem that by partisan admission the sphere of it's activity is limited to the petty affairs of patronage and spells, with its ten dencies toward graft and corrup- tion, so far as achievement is con- cerned. but unlimited in it's capacity for deviltry when led by such a partisan-crazed individual as the republican leader during the fight on the League of Nations. This corruptive tendency is brought to