Evening star., 1924-07-23
Politics at Large
ny n. o. MESSENGER

For . new party, just a-borninE in
fact. the La Toilette party is cer-
tainly getting its stride In q hurry.
And 1t is full Of pep. too. Fighting
Bob" 10 living up to his reputation
and is running true to form as
scrapper. II he carries out his pro-
gram As outlined. He Is not going
to allow any grass to grow under his
feet, and his war cry to his follow
ers Is up and at 'em, lads"
His first campaigning. It is an
nounced. will be In the East, the
enemy's country. That will exhibit
Fighting Bob" is rull Of that same.
It might be thought that he would
warm up" first by a campaign in the
West, where he Is assured of a rous-
ing welcome, but he does not need
any such stimulant. He will warm
say.
His foray into the East will be
watched with great interest by poll
ticians Of all sorts and kinds. There
ia at present a disposition in that
section to minimize, II not disparage,
tho La Toilette movement, after the
fashion of those who think that the
Hudson River is the western border
of all that is worth while OF the
United States.
"The East is due for an awaken
ing" say the La Toilette managers,
who predict that Senator La Fol-
lette's campaign among the indus
trialists will surprise the old-line
Democrats and the Republicans.
II the prediction is verified 1t
might have q benencial effect upon
both the old parties by arousing them
to their peril in time to take meas
ures to check the rising tide OF La
Folletteism.
A whiriwind campaign in August
would be easier to deal with than a
whirlwind campaign in October.
+ X + +
One consideration which Is causing
concern to the managers in the two
old parties is the support being ex-
tended to Senator La Toilette by the
railway men. Railway employees are
recognised as among the most intel
ligent of union laboPs forces. They
do not include many socialists and
certainly no communists or anar-
chists. They measure up to average
American citizenship in every way.
Their support, it is held, is calcu
lated to attract other elements of
labor to the La Toilette ticket.
\ r
Referring to the Cleveland conven-
tion which nominated Senator La
Toilette, L. White Busbey. the vet
eran newspaper correspondent, recalls
that the first insurgent attempt to
split the Republican party was for
mulated by a convention held in Gle
veland. Harking back ON the trail of
politics, Mr.. Busbey said:
That was sixty years ago and its
ton of Abraham Lincoln. In the early
summer of 1854 the radicals in Mis-
souri, who had Quarreled with Lin
coin, started the insurgent movement.
They were Joined by the radical abo-
litionists of the East in calling an
Cleveland, May 81, 1864, to organize
an Independent party and nominate
Gen. John c. Fremont for President.
r X
THE call in the West was signed
by Gratis Brown of Missouri. who was
a constitutional insurgent and in
1872 was nominated for Vice Presi-
dent on the Liberal ticket headed by
Horace Greeley. In the East the prin-
cipal heading the call was Gen. John
c. Cochran of New York. While
Brown was one of the organisers of
the movement. he failed to attend the
convention. as did WendaH Phillips.
the stormy petrol of abolition, who
sent q letter viciouSly attacking the
President. A good many men and
women who either thought the Presi-
dent was going too fast or too slow
in putting down the rebellion, wrote
letters commencing the movement.
I'm numbers and distinguished
names the convention was a failure,
but it was a success in the loud lam
entations and virile criticism of
President Lincoln. There were about
four hundred in attendance, and not
q dozen men whose names carried
any weight. The two wings of the
insurgents were as far apart as to
policies as either was in disagreement
with the President.
when a report OF the convention
was given to Lincoln by his secretary.
the late John Hay, with the remark
that there were only 400 present,
President Lincoln reached for the
Bible on his desk and turning to the
First Book of Samuel, read: And
every one that was in distress, and
every one that was in debt, and every
one that was discontented gathered
themselvs unto. him; and he became
q captain over them; and there were
with him about 400 men,
That first insurgent convention re-
ported by Samuel, was held in the
cave of Adullam where David had
taken refuge from King Saul, and
Lincoln recalled it when John Hay
told him about the convention of in
surgents at Cleveland to set forth
movement to prevent his reelection"
Chairman William NJ. Butler of the
Republican National Committee has
recently outlined the general policy
of the committee in the coming cam
paign. 1t is not to be a sectional
campaign, he says, but nation wide in
its scope and purpose. The commit
tee will not overstress Issues in one
section and soft-pedal other issues
in another section. The issues ap-
plicable to the best interests of the