The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-10-07
THE PARTY THAT IS NATIONAL.

MT. Walter Lippmann, writing in the Atlantic Monthly for October, develops the significant political theorem that the Democratic party is the only party that is, at present, national in its support and in its appeal. In the Democratic party there is no North, no South, no West, which is dominant or to which the party makes exclusive appeal. There
 can be little doubt that the Republican
 party is at present the party of the East.
 Elsewhere it develops its strength mainly
 in cities. here is equally no doubt that
 the third party is the party which finds
 it's principal strength in the Northwest, while at the same time making strenu- ous effort to arouse sympathy through
 out the West. It finds it's readiest re- sponse in the rural sections rather than in cities.
 The Democratic party, on the other hand, is truly. national in It's personnel and in its program. There is no schism between the Northern wing and the Southern wing. There is no aloofness on the part of the Western wing. All sec tions are unconscious of sectionalism either as regards the candidate or the party program.
 It may be objected that the party was nearly torn asunder at New York over the question of the Ku Klux Klan. That, however, reveals the real democracy of the only party that dared openly to de- bate this question. But it was not and is not Democratic question. It is a question which sought to raise it's head at both Cleveland conventions. But the Coolidge forces steam-rolled it, and the LaFollette party passed it's dictum with out debate But the question was tlRere and all the potentialities of acrimonious dispute that tore the Democratic conven- tiOn were present at the other two con ventions.
 Speaking of the long fight at New York MT. Lippmann says: "The forces arrayed there were not two factions in the Democratic party, but two cultures in America. They were divided by the suspicion that is engendered between divers communities, blind suspicion and misunderstanding and profound self Should. the Ku Klux Klan be denounced by name or denounced not by name? A ridiculous issue to a cold observer, but a passionate one to those engaged, for on that triviality deep dis trust was expendedH But sober reflec- ton convinces that the question there at issue, to the extent that it really is at issue, is not a party question at all, al- though each party has passed upon it. If it be said that there is division in the Democratic party over the Klan, then it must be admitted that there is equally division in every other party over the Klan. For unity or disunity as to for mal party declaration is not conclusive. There must also be considered how the rank and file feel about it. Everybody knows that in the rank and file of every party, there is division on that question. The hope is that the time will speedily come when this cause of dissension shall disappear. :;
 But the Democrats achieved something that neither of the other parties achieved. It selected a man acceptable to the rank and file throughout the length and breadth of Democracy. Because of their narrow escape from a party rupture the Democrats were sobered into finally choosing John w. Davis as a man who r represented all that the convention uproar was not. As MT. Lippmann expressed it 7 That is how a most disorderly cOnven- ton came to select a man with deep sense of order; how a convention boiling with passion selected a man of serene temper; how a convention charged with and prejudice, selected man of lucid and judicious intelligence; how a convention filled with crusaders select ed a man who has no trace of fanaticism in him; how a convention in which two factions utterly distrusted each other united at last on a man who gives at once a sense of assurance. The conven- ton turned to the one candidate who em- bodied pre-eminently those very quail ties for lack of which the party almost destroyed itself"
 Inasmueh as it is evident that Mir. olidge appeals mainly to the cOnserva- {. East and to entrenched privilege, and .s T.FolIetta insDires the confidence