Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-09-19
Third-P Party Virtue.

iAu-A Oily SlAtuC'
Senator La Toilette addressed a
paying audience at Madison Square
Garden last night in making his initial
speech of the presidential campaisn.
financially, the first performance was
a success, netting some $4,000 to the
war chest of the Progressive party
Politically, it was of doubtful value
Those who heard the speech may have
been enthused. Probably they were.
tor 1t is to be assumed that those who
paid the entrance fees We're already
sold to the La Toilette idea before
the voice Of the oracle was heard. But
the speech itself is spread forth in full
Text for all who wish to read and the
reading of it leaves much to be de-
sired in the way of convincing force.
brought down to essential terms,
Mr.. La Folette's argument is that the
old parties are the organs of the
few against the many, that they
are the corrupt and selfish agencies of
the interests against the welfare of
the populace. Only through the or
sanitation of third party under the
banner Of La Folletian ideas can the
people be saved from this domination.
can the proletariat be given repre-
&entation and voice in the making and
snforcinS of the laws ONLY by scrap-
ping the two old parties can America
be saved from continued tyranny of
minority dominion.
1t is the privilege of any American
to start a new political party. Many
Rave undertaken to do So The pres
ent old parties are the product by
amalgamation, of these aggressive
movements of the past. some Of them
highly corrective of. evil tendencies
But throughout the history of Ameri-
can politics, which is the same thing
as American Government. for gov
eminent is the product Of politics,
there runs the principle of two ma jor,
alternately dominant, parties.
1t is, indeed. the plea of the La Fol
lette promoters that his party be made
the successor Of at least one of the
two old parties. If all the ills againstE
charged so indiScriminately are gen
uine. there is no health in either
party, and salvation lies only in the
abandonment OF both and the union
OF the people in one orga nization. 1t
is needless to suggest the future of
such an amalgamation, in view of the
heterogeneous character of the So
called Progressive party Of today,
composed, as it is, of all sorts and
conditions Of disgruntled men and
women, with no common ground of
agreement save that OF protest against
existing conditions.
The claim of exclusive virtue is not
novelty. Every party that ever adj
dressed the American people in bid
for votes has made it. Republican and
Democratic platforms alike, have in
the past proclaimed their own purity
and denounced the faults and sins of
the opposition. Now comes the third
party, calling itself. by adoption of
former title which bears a certain
familiar trademark, Progressive,
all other parties as corrupt. How is
the voter to know the truth?
If the American people were ignor-
ant Of history, if they were deficient
In reasoning, if they We're faulty in
their understanding of questions of
political Importance. this plea OF sole
goodness might lead them to flock in
overwhelming numbers to the support
Of candidacy which has in the ma.
ture of things political in this country
no chance for success at the polls
But by specific propositions which
have been advanced, and which consti
tute the basis of the La Toilette claim
Tor confidence and support, this move
ment can be judged and will be judged
1t Is impossible for it to camouf1age
itself under generalities and sweeping
denunefations. While many people
will be deluded into believing, sincere
~, that the third-party movement of
feEs way to truth and light and
freedom and independence, the steady
common sense of the majority. the
great majority, will save them from
such a terrible blunder.
La Toilette is trying to do that i'm
possible thing which Abraham Lin
coin once stated thus: You can fool
all Of the people some of the time,
and some of the peoi}.n all the time,
hut you can't fool all the ieople all the
time"