The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-11-24
COMMON POLICY
SOUGHT TO HEAL
DEMOCRAT SPLIT
Party Factions Unable To
Agree On New
Program
ONE GROUP URGES
CONSERVATISM
Other Side Seeks To Gull
tivate Progressive
Opinion
BY RAYMOND CLAPPER
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Democratic leaders, taking
stock of the assets left after
losing two presidential elec-
tons by large margins, are
asking themselves, what is
to become of our party?'
Their perplexity is increased
by the fact that the two bit
terly hostile factions which al
most rent the party at Mad
ison Square Garden last sum-
mer, are still unreconciled.
While 1923 is long way off, the
party leaders are forced to consider at
once the policies to be pursued in the
short session of Congress, and In the
next Congress, for it is those policies
which will form the party's record IN
the next campaign.
Division Apparent
At the outset the party leaders must
decide whether they will abandon the
policy of cooperating with the LaFol'
lette republicans as in the previous
session. Already division has appeared
over the matter of income tax publicity
which was written into law last winter
through cooperation between the demo.
Gratis and progressives. Senator Fat
Harrison of Mississippi, temporary
chairman. of the national convention,
| 4 NIL rod
for repeal of the publicity provision
Senator Thomas j. Walsh of Montana
who was permanent chairman, has taken
ia contrary position. He wantssstn
broaden the publicity provision.
COuntry's Mood Clear
One group of democrats believes that
| the party must become conservative
and compete with the republicans for
the conservative vote. The other group
believes that the party should make it.
self the vehicle of progressive opinion
and prevent third party obtaining u
foothold. The recent election convinced
both groops that the country is III a
conservative mood at the moment. The
point in dispute is whether or not this
mood is temporary. One faction believes
that for years to come the bulk of the
voters will, as they did a few weeks
ago, vote for conservatism, minimum
interference of government in business
and the general policy of give bust
ness a chance and the poor will prosper
with the rich" The other school be-
lieves that the pendulum is at the ex.
treme right now that it shortly Will
start swinging back; that before long
there will grow up, as there did IN
1902 after Taft's easy victory, q
feeling that the underdog is not getting
his share; that the government needs
to lay a restraining hand OIL big bust
ness and force a more general dlstrlbu-
ton of its wealth.
That is the theory of it. But practi-
| cally the difficulty is that the demo-
cratic party is composed of such in
nately hostile groups LAT adoption OF
any concerted policy is extremely diff
cult. Coolidge, has abandoned Hard
ing's idea of trying to conciliate pro-
gressives and has made the republican
party a unified organ of conservative
policies.
But the democrats have been un-
able to make their party anything but
motley, because the eastern vets are
pitted against the western drys; the
Khan south and west against the east
ern anti-Klan forces; the conservative
east and south against the more pro-
gressive west; the industrialists against
the Agrarians Al Smith against Nc
Adoo. Republicans haye some differ
ences among themselves, but they are
so much milder that practically all fac
tons have been able to pull on the same
rope, whereas the differences OF the
democrats are SO deep-seated that they
have been unable to do this as was
demonstrated repeatedly in the New
York convention.
Steam Roller Useless
The democrats say the republicans
are only able to preserve unity by using
the steam roller. But democratic fac
lions are so diverse that they have been
unable to upset any steam roller yet de-
vised.
Republican leaders already have be-
gun talking about throwing the La
Toilette republicans out of the party
organization. 1t is significant that
democratic leaders have had practically
nothing to say about the status of their
own insurgents like Senator Wheeler,
LaFollette's running mate. The reason
is that they have been unable yet to
decide which path the party should
follow. Until that question is decided,
thew will have difficulty in making any
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