The Bismarck tribune., 1924-04-08
WHAT KIND OF PROGRESSIyEy

Senator Walsh Of Montana, whose
general clear r-headc cdness, sagacity
and penetration i'm the investigation
Of the naval oil leases have but re-
vealed to the country qualities known
to his colleagues and attentive read
! crs. of the Congressional Record, is
| naturally cloudier when he tries to
| look into the seeds of time. He thinks
that "the people will believe that
the country "is not safe in the
hands" Of the Republicans. If that
he the case. it would seem that they
must inevitably turn to the Demo
Gratis for safety. Evidently, however,
Mr.. Walsh is not willing to trust too
much to the "oil revelations" The
Democrats will win, he says, If they
nominate "the right candidate. That
candidate must be "the right sort of
progressive" Otherwise. there will
be a third-party nominee scheduled
to carry at least six Northwestern
States; and the election of a Presi-
dent will have to be made by the
House.
BY curious coincidence, Mr..
Walsh's friends in the Northwest are
eager to form Walsh for President
clubs: but he throws cold water on
their ardor. He feels that "such ef-
fort while the present Investigation"
is going on should be discouraged"
Selfish motives might be attributed
to him. He desires only to be re-
elected to the Senate. Still, the oil
investigation will not go on forever.
He may be unable to restrain the en-
thusiasm Of his friends. He repeats
his compliments to Mr. McAdoo, who
will have pretty bunch Of delegates
to "throw" to some kind of "pro-
gressivc." But what is "the right
sort Of progressive"? If the four
electoral votes Of Montana are the
great prize for which the Democratic
Party must contend, Senator Wheel
er. an Investigator and a "progres-
sive" of very different sort from
Mr. Walsh, shouldn't be forgotten.
There is just one progressive"
MIR. LaFollette, who would have any
chance of carrying certain North
western States as a third-party cam
didate. But he keeps in the Repub-
lican fold. His purpose seems to be
to collect Congressman who will
strengthen his group, continue, if
possible. his balance of power and
opportunity to make mischief. What
have the Democrats in Congress got
by their flirtations with him? He
dupcd them in the House. He will
dupe them in the Senate, if he can.
Will the Democratic Party allow it.
self to be stillfurther fooled by max
ing concessions in platform or can
didate to radical ideas? In effect,
that party is proposing to "turn the
rascals'-still mostly invisible
"out." Is it going to try to turn out
with them sane finance and political
economy, cater to Bryanism, La Fol-
letteism? That way lies the wilder
ness again.
The right sort Of progressive!
We had supposed that the Democra-
tic National Convention expected to
nominate the right sort of Demo-
crat If the country really doesn't
feel safe in the hands of Republicans,
would it feel safe in the hands of
Democrats tainted with populsm,
toying with radicalism, looking like
the patriots of the Northwest whom
Senator Walsh wants to captivate to
the weakening Of the Supreme Court,
the naturalization of railroads and
what not, whole congeries Of un-
sound, un-Democratic, dangerous pol
icies? A prayerful study of the table
of electoral votes is recommended to
Democrats who put more stress on
progressive" than on Democrat"
There will be the usual shindy at the
New York Convention. But it is to
be presumed-or hoped-that the
Democrats have taken sufficient les
sons in the art of losing from Mr..
Bryan, and will take no more from
him or his disciples and successors.
New York Times.