The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-11
RITCHIE ASSAILS LACK OF ISSUES
 IN MAIN PARTIES
Democrats-G. o. P. Must Divide On Principles,
 Says Governor

NEW YORK, Dec. 10.-Governor Ritchie of Maryland voiced tonight, at the annual dinner of the Southern so- ciety of New York, a conviction that the time had come for the Republican and Democratic parties to reklndle some of the beliefs which vitalized them in the past and to divide once again on principle"
 Differences between the major parties : have quite disappeared, said Governor Ritchie. adding that there never was more than two-the tariff and states rights. All others, he said were minor issues created for campaign purposes and only distantly related to funda- mental party platforms.
 He did not believe there was anyone who thought that if the democrats had won the 1924 elections there would be a tariff for revenue only. He said the democratic platform made no such promise, for party leaders knew that strict fulfillment would be impractical.
 Combat Same Measures
 As for states rights, the speaker eontended that both parties had come to champion or combat certain meas ures which affected the principle of local self-government and both parties include persons who want to make an exception in the case of something in which they are interested-chlld labor or federal control over education or prohibition or health or state aid for internal improvements or something else."
 ''Is there then nothing in the politics of the country upon which the people really divide?" he asked. Must the parties continue on their opportunitic careers? Is there not something to rekindle the historic differences be- tween them, in which, in days gone by, made them parties of principle, not ex- pediency."
 There is not, he said, if the country has become so vast as to take its po- litics sectionally, so that national in stitutions and national questions of principle no longer come first. Nor is there Eff it is true that the forces in control of national conventions and party platforms are afraid of issues, be- cause to be on side of an issue makes you sure of losing the votes of those on the other side"
 Certainly enough power and au- thority and bureaucracy Is centralized at Washington to make this a rallying point for those who believe ln decentral- ization and the autonomy of the states, Governor Ritchie said. Will not the American people, at the close of these four years, welcome from the Demo- cratic party a program for decentral- ization-a program not vague but con structive, thorough and exact and built on the party's traditional conviction that the government governs best which governs least?'
 Individual rights could be another issue for the 1928 campaign, said Gov ernor Ritchie, for i've must admit that never before has Jaw restricted the freedom of the individual as much as now"
 "were there another Hamilton in the land today, his brain would con- ceive greater need than he had ever dreamed of for a strong and cohesive central government
 "Were there another Jefferson" con- cluded Governor Ritchie, The would de- mand, as passionately as the Jefferson of 135 years ago, that the right of the states to settle their local concerns be preserved or restored to them and that the freedom of the individual be saved from governmental interference.