Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-07-02
Politics at Large
BY N. O. MESSENGER

NEW YORK, June 30.-No national
1896. Republican and Democratic,
have been more interesting and ex-
citing than the Democratic national
convention in New York. The con-
trast between the two is marked.
In the 1896 conventions the questions
at issue were Notwithstanding, In
fact. In the Democratic convention
of 1924 a new element was inter
1ected. dangerous one. fraught with
appalling and infinite potentialities or
domestic strife and discord.
This is something new in American
politics. Hitherto the religions and
the races have not been thrust into
the maelstron of politics. Catnoilcs
and Protestants have dwelt side by
side with the Jew in political amity.
They comming1ed at the polls with
out thought of differing upon other
than political issues. There were Re,
publican Jews and Protestants and
Democratic Protestants and Catholics.
The negro took his own political
choice, regardless of religion.
At this hour the nation finds itself
confronted by a new element, the in
tics. How our forbears. granting
they can look down from celestial re-
gions, must wonder at this situation.
They who founded this government
essentially upon the principles of re-
ligious liberty.
1t remains for this year of grace
1924 to have this crisis come to
America. Who can foresee the out
come of candidates that have arisen
in the Democratic national conVen-
ton. William Jennings Bryan, the
preacher a
preacher than a politician, giimpsed
or rather it should be said sensed, the
situation and most earnestly and elo-
quently tried to forestall what hap
pened in the committee on resolu-
tions without avail.
All signs. omens and portents at
this time indicate that the civic eff
fects of the fiareup in the Democratic
convention over the Khan plank are
political. Indeed, it might be said
with truthfulness that the political
consequences are even at this time
discounted. The anti-klan leaders
of war in their defeat, in so far as
the political aspects of the question
are concerned. They were beaten by
nose and that's all there is to it.
Smith Ss E. ,rbts "a tSa
anti Khan leaders have come into
camp and declared fealty to the Dem
ocratic party. There was nothing
else for them to do, to be sure. They
could not bolt. for there is no place
to GO But as to the civic effects,
no man can tell. 1t was said IN the
convention that the Khan is dying
institution, but Mr.. Bryan and others
contended that the precipitation of
discussion and irritation will result
in renewed efforts by the Khan and
increased resistance by the opposition.
One hears many predictions by the
politicians that the uproar over the
Khan issue will rebound to the ad-
vantage of the Republicans and such
statements as "Coolidge's luck is sun
with him." Well. that remains to be
seen, in the light of the foregoing
statement that the political effects
are likely to be subordinated to the
civic effects. These Democrats, as
history has shown. have great way
of fighting like blazes among them
selves, and after the shindy is over,
wiping off their bloody but unbowed
heads and going after the common
enemy with united front.
An interesting side-line talk among
the Democrats in attendance upon
the convention relates to the posi-
izing a third party movement. The
senator, it must be admitted, has
been playing very foxy policy on
this subject. He has been Keeping
Gratis guessing as to his prospective
course. 1t is well understood that his
plan has been to stand over 6oth
parties with club, menacing them
with a third party unless one or both
should adopt platforms liberal
enough to conform to his ideas. The
Republicans in their convention at
Cleveland made no sort or pretense
conforming to his pollticai iusars or
their own platform on Republican
The Democrats did the same thing
in framing their platform. Ihey
knew they could not meet the drastic
La Toilette theories and, sadly, II
fearfully, bade him good-by ana went
their own benighted way.
\
The best belief of leading Demo
Gratis here is that the senator is bent
upon taking the field at the head OF
a dissenting party, including all
ultra-liberaI elements Of both parties,
excluding, of course, the Communists
and Socialists, whom Senator La
Toilette has expressly and scornfuily
repudiated. 1t is recognized tnae
Senator La Toilette made a stroke OF
strategy in throwing overheard these
would-be stowaways
1t was like the fishermen who
threw Jonah overheard to the whale.
They thought their passenger was a
hoodoo. Senator La Toilette was
sure that his proposed passengers
would be. 1t is said that the senator
has become aware that he is suspect
ed of being too uitra-toerai ana n q
an exponent of liberalism, that vague
term without specific metes and
bounds. susceptible to the mind or
the man in the street. and that II ne
runs on a third party ticket ne Will
be in position to command the sup
mort Of considerable following in
both parties, drawing from each.
No man is entitled to claim that he
can say which party Will suner most
losses to it's own ranks II Senator La
Toilette runs. That Will remain 10
political gossips claim that he would
drain heaviest from the democrats.
This is the way they inquire IL out:
They contend that the unmlstakapie
which is discernible to any fair
minded man; the country's confluence
in his safeness, conservatism ana all
that is a sign that this year there Is
a groundswell of sentiment leaning
toward conservatism and against
radicaIism. They insist that the
Democratic party is less conservative
and If the real radicals are not salts
fed with the Democratic platform
they are likely to run away to La
toilette in numbers greater than
there are disseminated Republicans.
X *
The Democratic leaders found their
hone upon checking detection from
their ranks to Senator La Toilette upon
the assertion that their platform is
liberal enough to satisfy any reason
able liberal, and that If any man Is
dissatisfied he would have left them
ANYHOW and Joined the Socialists.
They count that man as dead loss
from the outset and to be written on
the books chargable to profit and loss.