The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-12-13
SPLIT SEEN
ON THIRD
PARTY.
Rail Unions Plan Capture of
Democratic Machinery,
Says Hard
BY WILLIAM HARD.


Following are the chief devel-
opments of national political con-
sequence out Of the meeting here
yesterday and today of the lead
ers of the recent La Toilette ma
tional new-party campaign:
Most Of the railroad trade
unions which were the backbone
Of the La Toilette campaign are
on their way toward boiling back
from La Toilette to William Gibbs
McAdoo.
This is the real reason why in
the present new-party meeting
here they have opposed the new
party idea.
The meeting here sustained the
new-party idea on a technical par
hamentary point Of order.
Secession PrOable,
The bulk of the railroad-trade.
union representatives in the meeting
opposed the new-party idea and may
secede from the new-party conyen.
ton when it meets in the early part
Of next year.
They have thought out a new
course of action. They want the
La toilette movement to turn in and
help to try to capture the Democratic
national organization between now
and 1928 for "progressivism' and
McAdoo.
They point out that John w. Davis
in the last election got twenty-nine
per cent of the national vote. They
point out that La Toilette got six.
teen of it. They point out that
Twenty-Five is more than sixteen
and also that Twenty-Five plus six.
teen is forty.five.
| Forty-five out of every one hun,
dred voters, they note and say, voted
for either Davis or La Toilette agains,
| Coolidge.
They, contend that this forty.five
cannot be pushed up to fifty.one and
to a majority in the next election
unless the Democrats and the La
Follettites get together and do some
| joint missionary work.
South&O Remain solid"
They despair of persuading the
Solid South to cease to be Democratic
| and become La Folettite.
They are confident, however, thai
If the La Follettites added them
selves to the McAdooites in the
Democratic primaries throughout
the country the whole Democratic
party could be captured decisively
for the progressive" cause.
They realize that the organization
in Washington headed by Mr.. M.
l.. Fox, of New Mexico, formerly
secretary of the McAdoo pre.con.
vention campaign committee, is en-.
gagged precisely in this work of try.
ing to capture the Democratic party
for 'progressivism.'
They contend that IL the La
Toilette movement would add itself
to the Fox movement, the so-caIled
Eastern Bosses" could be defeated
in the next national Democratic
convention and candidate could
be named and platform adopted
outrightly for 'progressivism d
against the so-called conservatism
of the Republicans.
They have conveyed this deem
idea to Mr.. La Follettes closest
personal advisers.
La Toilette Against Plan.
Mr.. La Toilette, 1t is learned, is
against It..
He is just as much indisposed to
be Democrat as to be a regular
Republican.
In fact, 1t is suspected that he
could sooner be regular Republi.
can than Democrat. Having grown
up politically in the company OF
Thomas Bracket Reed and Mark
Hanna and William Mckinley, he
seems unable to contemplate the idea
OF being a Democrat. In any case
be is not going along with the propo.
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