The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-12-06
LIMITS OF POLITICAL INDEPE\D.
DE\CE
{ New York Times

/ The siXty-cighth congress will enter
! upon It's short ard final ession with
out the ceremonious presentation Of
the message by the Presiden. IN MS
own person. 1t will be road or in
toned by the clerks in the routine
! manner OF the days between jefferson
, and Wilson. Moreover, IS the Wash
!ngton dispatches state, the egisla-
tive program, which has been agreed
upon by the leaders in the House and
approved By the President. contem-
plates ol1y measures OF a "non-con-
troversial character" The only dis
putatious sounds to disturb the calm.
1T the moment, have arisen over the
reading Of the four Senators out Of
the Republican Party.
Senator Norris, who has sort of
unwrtten charter from his State TO
say and do what he pleases, is irri-
tated by the unexpected vigor Of the
conference Of Republican Senators.
Mr.. LaE gillette, Mr.. I.add, Mr.. Frazier
and Mr.. Brookhart were declared, in
effect, TO be no longer in good and
regular standing in the Republican
congregation. This initiates Mr.. Nor
ris into saying that
it is a silly thing when any set Of
men without any sort of authority
set themselves up to judge the pol
itical conduct of their equals. They
| believe this resolution reads four
men out Of the party, but it actually
reads out all the hundreds of thou
sands of voters who supported them.
| Senator Laid snaps his fingers at
his condemnation to the outer dark
ness. He doesn't care for the Re-
publican minority Of the Senate He
is not trying to please that, hut "to
represent the sentiment of the the
people "of North Dakota Mr.. Ladd
is an able and an honorable man, but
b0Lh he and Senator Norris take 4
position which, however tenable by
them, cannot be generally approved.
The great body of private citizens,
given to independent convictions and
| votes, has a wider license than a'>pub-
lie man and no responsibility save to
it's own conscience. A public man
has a large responsibility. Within
his party he may press Independent
opinions Of his own. Such man
may acquire in Congress as we'll as in
his district or State the respect and
the authority that come from a per-
ception of his disinterestedness, his
sincerity and his character. /ut how
can party government exist if a man
like Mr.. LaFollette, after having
striven for years for the Republican
nomination for President, after fight
ing for years the essential Republi-
/ can policies, appears as Il third par
tvs candidate and applies to the Re-
publican, and to the Democratic Par
ty, for that matter, all his vocabulary
of sulphurous and tormcnting
flames?
! Having done his best to defeat and
destroy his party, why should he be
| allowed to cling to the privileges of
his Republican seniority in the SEN
ate? The discipline ultimately to be
inflicted upon him isn't very deadly,
and in Wisconsin he has charmed
political life; yet it was right for the
Republican majority to serve notice
on him.. Unless party government is
to be given up, parties must be re-
sponsible as u whole; and, allowing
the widest reasonable range for diff
fcrences of opinion. must have a
creed and solid body of doctrine. The
four disciplined Senator'S are not Re-
publicans unless Mr.. LaFollette's
Cleveland platform, not Mr.. Cool
idge's is the authoritative Repubi-
can symbol. A national party must
be one. The temporary political re-
gionalism upon which Mr.. Ladd and
his associates rely is in itself an
evil thing.
Government by parties, party in
power substantially united on essen
tials. party in opposition similarly
united: that is the American system.
Statesmen who don't like it or feel
that their abilities and deserts are
not sufficiently recompensed under it
are free to form third parties. 1t is
their privilege to try to overthrow
the party whose name they have used
for their own purposes, but they can
hardly expect to be allowed to keep
their honors and perquisites in the
party which they have deserted. Do
Mr.. La Toilette and his partners
ever think what sort of discipline