The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-09-21
SPLITTING THE PARTY IN POWER

in making their principal fight against the thirdparty ticket proves that the Re- publican campaign is defensive and not an aggressive one. The party is fight ing more to save itself than to win the election. It daily becomes more appar- ent that the LaFollette strategy is dis ruptive of the party in power, and that any considerable LaFollette success would ruin the party for years, if not utterly destroy it. Aside from whatever appeal the Wisconsin senator may make personally to>the people of tins country, he has the added strategical advantage of being one from the inside speaking with the authority of long membership in the party he attacks. Therefore, his influence will be stronger with those for merly adhering to the party he repudi- ates than it will be with the adherents of the party already antagonistic to Re- publican leadership.
 Thus the predictions of early observers are being fulfilled. The LaFollette de- lection is costing the Republican cause
 most dearly. As the days go by, with
 the vigorous third-party effort and the
 Republican inactivity, the strength of the parent party is gradually being sapped to give sustenance to the lusty infant that sprung from it. There is thus presented to the country the spectacle of one party divided against itself, and of the Demo cratic party not only maintaining its former solidarity, but also growing by accretions from those former Republi- cans adherents who find their ancient citadel untenable and who cannot bring themselves to enter the radical fold. It is easily calculable that, although there
 may be some Democratic losses to the LaFollette banner, the Democratic gains from the Republican ranks, and from the ranks of those voters who have no fixed party allegiance, greatly exceed such losses.
 The swing of MT. Davis through the West was not marked by any thoughtless and hilarious outburst, but it is quite evident that the Democratic leader ae- complished a more significant thing in that he set the people to thinking. Ii the people really consider this question of parties in sincere mood, it is incon- ceivable that they should be able to bring themselves again to undergo Republi- can maladministration. They are being given the facts as the party in power it. self wrote them into the record. Those facts are enough to fill the entire people with apprehension and misgiving, not only as to the Republican capacity to govern wisely and well, but even as to the Republican intent to do so.
 That the Davis effort is fruitful ot re- suits favorable to his cause is daily more apparent. In the beginning the people in general were not so we'll acquainted with MT. Davis as with the other candl- dates. How winning and forceful his is shown by the growing ac- claim that greets him wherever he goes. His audience of fourteen thousand cltl- gems in Chicago last Thursday rose to pitch of enthusiasm not heretofore seen in this campaign. It is believed that this enthusiasm was partly due to the impression of MT. Davis hls audience had gained from reading hls Western speeches. Already they were favorably inclined, and when the candl- date stood before them they were not but, on the contrary were given additional reason to express thelr 
 It is said that the Republicans are working to keep the election out of con- gress. That warrants the belief that the would rather see the Demo- crats win than that, for such an eventu- ality as an election by congress would mean an excessive LaFollette strength at the Republican expense. A Democratlc victory would be interpreted to mean that the party in power had held its own against the effort to disrupt it from within. LaFollette would also undoubt- edly prefer to see Democratic than a Republican victory, for such a result would be interpreted by him as per sonal success and as vindication of his attack upon the Republican party.
 Inasmuch as the Democrats also would prefer a Democratic to Republican vic- tory, it is easily perceived that all three parties are agreed upon one important point. The decision lies with the people of this country They should easily see that the LaFollette effort is threat to our fundamental institutions, and that the Republican record is subversive of popular rights and committed to the policy of privilege to the favored few. The natural reaction would be in favor of the Democratic aspirations, for Democ- racy alone has a record of constructive achievement within the past decade, and Democracy alone merits public confidence and is in position to make good it's pledges and public policies.