Evening star., 1924-08-17
BY BEN McKELWAY.

desuetude. commonly described as
the bow vows. AS the same time
they are told that the crissis is at
hand. In their hands rests the deci-
sion of whether the Government OF
this fair land will be administered
along the lines so gloriously laid
down by Washington, Jefferson and
Madison or perish under the admin
istration of the grating. scandaIous.
perjured thieves who have made the
last four years epochal in the Ma
tion's history for sordid knavery, cor
ruption and high treason.
Still shaking in his shoes the
harrassed voter turns elsewhere for
wisdom. comfort and hope. He re-
ceives 1t in large and generous doses.
He is congratulated upon the prog
ress of his native land during the
last four years. He is felicitated
upon the fact that the wishes OF the
founders are being religiousIy OBJ
served; that the ideals OF Washing
ton, Jefferson and Madison still live.
He is assured of the sanctity of the
Constitution and OF its continued
safe keeping. He IS told that econ
omy and frugality are the watch
words in the capital and that a
glorious future, with lower or may
be no taxes. easy work and high
wages beckon to the man who votes
the right ticket.
Third Party Approaches.
And when this same voter, Repub-
llcan or Democrat, wonders what to
DO he glances toward the horizon and
sees approaching what his newspaper
tells him Is the grim specter of a
third party" which shrieks that the
Democrats and Republicans are both
wrong. that they have gotten the
country in hopeless stew between
them, that salvation lies with 1t and
1t alone.
Upon learning which the voter
votes the way his father and grand
father voted before him. the country
somehow manages to struggle along
for four years more and everybody
lives happily ever atterward
Party platforms have been threat
ening dire consequences, pointing
with justifiable pride to accomplish
ments, renewing their pledges to
guard the constitution against all
comers, praising the brave defenders
of our Nation on land and on sea and
limiting at bonus or pension or
something some time maybe, and
winding up with a general mud
singing at the opposition for the
last hundred years. Yet the amazing
country. theoretically, at least, awaits
the announcement of the next plat
form and rejoices or dismally howls
at what it contains. All that is neces-
sary to convince one that there is
nothing new under the sun is to &c
back century or SO and examine the
various platforms of the different
parties.
pIrtfnrms STRANGELY Alike
Aside from the various issues of
the day there is a strange similarity
from 1900, when a convention of Re-
publicans in Philadelphia declared its
opposition to linking ourselves by
new treaties with the quarrelS of Eu-
rope, entering their fields of slaugh-
ter to preserve their balance or join
ing in the confederation of kings
to war against the principles of lib
erty" to 1900. when the infant Peo-
pies party was calling on the coun-
try to defeat both Democrats and
Republicans. neither of whose plat
forms promised the salvation held
out by proponents of the third party
Party platforms came into use
gradually. In the early days the par
ties evidently were able to dispense
with them altogether. Their influence
in getting the vote after they became
a fixed part of the political campaign
is doubtful, but it is interesting to
recall some of them. A convention of
Republican congressman met in
Philadelphia in 1900 and drafted what
was probably the first party platform
Their opponents, the Federalists,
adopted no platform. The Repub-
licans were successful in electing JEFF
ferson. Neither party adopted plat
forms in 1904 or 1908, but in 1912 the
Federalists held a convention in New
York, nominated De Witt Clinton for
President and adopted a platform
censuring the Republican admins
tration for unpreparedness for the
war of 1912, and concluding with a
plea for the election of Clinton for
protection of 'those interests nag
ging under the weakness and i'm
becility of the administration" The
Republicans failed to adopt any plat
form, but were successful at the polls
and Madison was reelected.
First Democratic Platform.
Platforms fell into disuse entirely
from 1912 until 1882. During this
latter campaign the newly organized
Democratic party adopted shorE
platform, dealing in generalities. and
the Republicans had none. The Dem
later the Democrats decided to go
without a platform, but the radical
element of that party adopted what
was known as the "Loco-Foco' plat
form, opposing paper currency, mo-
nopolies by legislation and The dam
gerouS and unconstitutional creation
of vested rights or prerogatives by
legislation" The Republicans, now
turned Wings, also adopted a plat
form calling on the people to oppose
Van Buren,, Democratic candidate, and
charging him with intrigue and cor
rution of our free institutions" Van
Buren, without platform. was
elected.
In 1910 the situation was reversed.
The Democrats decided to try a
platform. framing very nice one
which said nothing in particular.
while the Wings decided to get along
without a platform. This campaign
saw grim specter of a third party
sure enough 1t took the form of
the newly formed Abolitionists. who
in the District of Columbia and in
the territories. But w. H. Harrison,
without a platform, was elected.
Platform Comes to Stay.
The platform came to stay. how
ever, in 1914, with the Abolitionists
the first in the field. with a platform
consistent with their beliefs. The
Democrats adopted a strict construc-
zionist platform, the Wings a loose
constructionist. and the Democrats
won, electing Polk. defeating Clay.
the Whig candidate, and Birney, the
Abolitionist.
In 184S party platforms apparently
meant little either way, for Gen.
Zachary Taylor, selected by the Wings
as their candidate, was about the
most popular man in the United States
because Of his victories in the Mexi-
can War. while the Democratic party
was split three ways between the
Regulars, the Free Soilers, who sue