The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-26
DEMOCRATS PRovED sANITY


 DEMOCRATS PROVED SANITY
 The third party offers no appeal to the practical minded, because it is frankly experimental, and has no background of reliable and constructive achievement to inspire that confidence essential to win ming popular majority. Although the LaFollette group has been able to in- clude some Democrats, the real split is Republican. The Republican party has long been unacquainted with either unity of sentiment or solidarity of ac- ton. The two extremes of liberalism and conservatism are present in every political party of many years standing, but these two extremes in the Repub- lican party became so widely separated that something had to give. In this case it was party adherence which was un- able to stand the strain, and the radicals split off.
 Thus neither the Republican party as it now stands, nor the. third party con- tains those elements of balance which are necessary to sanity in the administra- tion of public affairs. The Republican party is now composed principally of ultra-consetvative, reactionary and in some cases even corrupt, forces, which are unfit to rule the destinies of for ward-looking, growing and enlightened nation. The LaFollette group, com posed of the unanchored elements of rash experimentation, unbalanced by the sanity of substantial consideration and equable judgment, is even a more un- safe custodian of the public welfare. Only a wise admixture of the conserv- ative and the progressive gives that sta bility of administration which is essen- tial to the well-being of the republic.
 The true conservative is also progress sive. He may be conservative in that he will surrender no policy of proved merit, nor accept in exchange an ex- perimental doctrine the effects of which are problematical. He may be progress sive in that he will keep pace with the times and will adopt any new policy properly based on accepted principles and sure to better the condition to which it is applied. There is a science in gov ernment just as there is a science in any other endeavor. There are forward steps the results of which are predicta- ble, because they conform to what is LVo oxxy,, ahoY1E and h,,uoau af fairs. There are, on the other hand, purely speculative and experimental steps the results of which are not pre- dictable, oraelse are contrary to the known laws. of good government. The radical is aS all times ready to take leap into the dark, regardless of the dire consequences that may befall an entire people. The well-balanced pro- gressive will never accede to a policy that is vague and based upon impulse, prejudice or the desire to be different.
 It appears that only in the Democratic ranks will be found the proper propor- tions of conservatism that will give up nothing of value, and the progressivism that at all times moves forward along a well-ordered pathway. The Democratic party has behind it a record of construc- tive achievement. Its conservatism is il frustrated by the fact that never in it's years of administration has it destroyed any policy of merit nor done violence to any of our institutions. Its progressivism is shown by the long list of forward looking and constructive measures, many of which have been incorporated into the laws of the land even during succeeding Republican administrations. The na- tional budget act is one of these, for it was conceived by the Wilson administra- tion and by4it prepared for enactment. The budget act was among the first laws passed by the succeeding administration and is proclaimed by the Republicans as one of their most constructive acts. Yet it is a direct inheritance from the Dem- ocrats, even to the last dot and period of the recorded document.
 This nation cannot afford to forfeit it's national opportunity by remaining any longer in the Republican reactionary doldrums; nor can it afford to jeopardize it's institutions by entrusting them to the nervous and incapable hands of the rad icals. There is a safe and sane middle course, a course offered by the poised and capable Democratic leadership. It is this course the people of the United States must choose if they would spare the country injury or embarrassment.
 CLOE AND POLICE TRAINING