The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-06-03
EVEN VIC BERGER.
NOT ENTHUSIASTIC.
FOR LAFOLLETTE.
Won't Endorse Him as
Independent Republican
BY LAURENCE TODD.

lette is nominated at the July 4 Cleve-
land convention of the conference for
Progressive Political Action, as the
candidate Of new party, or even as
an independent, the Socialist conven-
ton, meeting in Cleveland on July s,
will support him; if he is nominated,
however, as a mere independent Re
publican, the Socialists cannot enA
dorse him.
That is the position of Congressman
Victor Berger, who sees in the en-
dorsement by LaFollette of the Re
publican state ticket in Wisconsin a
serious danger to harmony in the pro-
gressive ranks.
Wants New Party.
1--WE Socialists are keenly aware of
the Importance of this moment in the
political history of the country" he
told The Federated Press. 1--WE know
that now is the psychological moment
for the creation of new party. La
Toilette can lead it. Conditions are
all in its favor. We are ready to do
our share. And even if LaFollette is
persuaded that the best results will
be secured by making his candidacy
this year an independent one, we can
still cooperate. if the movement is a
movement independent of the old CAPT
talist parties But if he is to be only
an independent Republican, if we are
to be called upon to sacrifice and COM
promise all of our principles as So
cialists, then it is plain that we can
not work together. We will not go
into any faction Of the Republican
party"
Rep. Berger explained that the So
cialists of Wisconsin are preparing to
place in the field a full state ticket
centering much of their fire upon Gov
Blaine, who has the endorsement of
LaFollette He said the Socialists
may even capture the state.
From Lincoln to Gary.
Addressing the House May 81 on
the history and nature of American
political parties, Berger showed how
the party of Abraham Lincoln became
the party of Judge Gary, Andrew Mel
lon, Fall, Daugherty and Sinclair,
while the Democratic party of Jeffer-
son became the party of McAdoo, Pal
mer and Doheny. He quoted Bris-
bane's remark, that the Democratic
party is the spare tire on the back
Of the Republican machine, operated
by crooked business.
He cited the insincerity of many
reformers toward their own platforms,
and said that, in spite of the inclu-
sion of public ownership of railroads
in the Wisconsin platform of the La
Toilette Republicans, the leader Of
the LaFollette delegation in the House
when asked whether he favored pub
lie ownership of railroads, replied that
he did not.
Red Raiders.
Again, LaFollette stood the acid test
of opposition to the war, yet his fol
lowers in Congress and in the Wis
consin legislature were terrorized by
the proflteer press and the patrioteer
propaganda. They fell by the way
side, kept silent, or became patrio-
teers. They voted for the infamous
espionage act, for the trading with
the enemy bill, for suppression Of
freedom of speech and abolition Of the
free press. They directly or indirect
ly supported all the doings Of Wood
row Wilson, A. Mitchell Palmer and
Albert s. BurIeson. And when the
war ended these so-called progressives
we're Just as willing to substitute the
red scare for the German terror. They
were willing to eat radicals alive in
stead of Huns"
He proceeded to detailed analysis
of the record of Gov. Blaine, accus-
ing him of having stood with the Ford
interests and having defeated a pub
lie ownership plan for hydro-electric
development, defeated eight-hour and
old-age pension laws, and prevented
tax reform.
II would appear that Sen. LaFol-
lette's difficulty in Wisconsin this year
will not be in stsblishing his con-
servatism, but the reverse.