The Washington times., 1924-07-05
BACK
LOOKING,
VIEW
Spokesman Says His Plat
form Is Most Reactionary
Offered This Year
By WILLIAM HARD

CONVENTION HALL, CLEVE-
LAND, July s.. Disguised ex-
IRENE radicals are wondering
how progressive this convention
Is after all.
Robert Marion La Follette's let
ter to this convention announcing
his determination to run for
President was being analysed to-
day to its last bitter Drop Of dis
appointment for the extremists.
The letter was seen to contain
large booming phrases Of defiance
to the money power and all that
sort Of thing but no specific
comfort for the people here who
want the Government to enter
into all sorts Of activities in busi-
ness and who also want labor to
be put in the saddle and all capt.
tai to be put down and out.
Disapnoints Socialists.
ut was a conservative document. =
Such is the view taken Of the La
Toilette letter by the Socialistic
wing Of the convention.
It became apparent that the
Socialists cannot support La Toilette
except by abandoning or, at any
rata VAnofFRnvnfvo <hots. SS,aS,lnkfl.~,
The Socialistic wing Of the con.
vention comes largely from the
So-ca1led Needle Trades and con-
sists Of delegates from organizations
like the Amalgamated Clothing
Workers and the International
Ladies' Garment Makers.
Numbers OF them were observed
to remain seated and silent while
other delegates were standing and
shouting for La Toilette.
They realized that the La Toilette
letter, so dramatically read to the
convention by his son Young Bob, !"
was the death knell to the idea that
the La Toilette candidacy would be
an advancement to their theories.
They realize keenly and bitterly
that La Toilette, indeed, was taking
an absolute and anti-Socialist posi-
ton.
''Progressiyes'. Content.
The convention thereupon was al.
vided into two groups. One con-
sisted Of the regular Progressives"
who were quite content with declare.
ton against Monopoly" and in
favor Of revival Of Competitor"
IN business as expounded by La Fol
lette.
The other consisted Of the friends
and partisans Of Government owner.
ship Of all things in general.
These latter were deeply outraged
IN their theories by the La Toilette
utterance.
They pointed out that It contained
not one syllable Of admiration for
Government ownership Of anything.
They pointed out that, in fact, it
maintained az its central doctrine
that Monopoly" could and should
be destroyed by q stern application
OF the Sherman antitrust law.
They allege with truth that Ia
FoIlette's whole utterance FROM be-
ginning to end was nothing but q
powerful and pugnacious restate-
ment OF the old Populist proposition
that all would be well In the United
States II all the trusts were broken
up and II everybody went all the
way back to unrestrained competl-
ton in everything.
The Radical Viewpoint.
The extreme socialisfic and radical
view OF the La Toilette performs nee
was expressed to this writer today
BY William q. Foster, who Is In
habiting the outside fringes Of this
convention on behalf Of the Com.
munist Workers Party, of which
ne Is the leader In America.
Mr.. Foster said:
This convention Is the most back
ward-looking convention OF this
year.
1.-THE Republican convention was
the progressive convention in the
capitalistic sense. IT was in favor
Of big business. It was in favor Of
large scale production. 1t was in
favor OF developing business for.
ward.
''The Democratic convention has
been less progressive, but in general
everybody knows that the Demo
cratic party win not seriously inter-
tere with the big trusts which are
AS~OSOcAy w suAOOSEM 0IglCl00I OEOs
duction and distribution.
Nov, however, comes this La
Toilette convention, which demands
that all modern Industrial proRress
shall be reversed.
"In La Follette's message to the
convention there Is just one con-
ttnuous idea.
Going Backward, He Says.
ETA Toilette himself says In his
message that this idea must be made
the one basic issue Of the campaign.
What IL It?
at is that big business must be
al split UP and split back into It's
old little competing units.
That IL his one remedy for every.
thing.
1--WE must go back.
This convention Of his viii nc
cept and endorse that remedy.
ut Is the most reactionary con.
vention that has met this year"
Such criticisms OF La Toilette are
widely heard among the outright
Socialists in the convention and
among the outright Communists
b