Evening star., 1925-02-18
Politics at Large
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN,

Seven months ago. assembled In
convention In Cleveland. Ohio, the
Conference for Progressive Political
Action launched q third ticket" for
the presidency, with Senator La Fol-
lette at it's head. A few days later,
representatives Of the new movement
Wheeler of Montana, Democrat, to
cast in his lot with them and take the
nomination for Vice President
The Conference for Progressive
Political Action will meet in Chicago
on Saturday to determine what stepA
IL any. 1t shall take to organize for
u1ally q new liberal party-a kind Of
perpetuation Of the third ticket, which
was labeled the Progressive ticket
during tho last campaign.
Neither Senator La Toilette nor
Senator Wheeler. 1t is expected, will
attend the convention. Senator La
Toilette is in Florida, whittier ne
went a month ago to shake Off an
attack Of grip. He is much improved
in health, it is reported hero. Sena-
tor Wheeler has drifted back into the
Democratic fold, and is likely to re-
main there for a while It is reported
here that Senator La. Toilette 10 send
ing a message to the convention in
Chicago--and that he is not sending
ono.
notwithstanding the fact that La
Follette-Wheeler ticket received only
IL electoral votes-those of Wiscon-
sin-about 100000 votes the country
over were cast for that tfcket-which
| Is a very considerable vote. Further
more, in several OF the Western
states, among them California, La
FHlette ran well ahead of John w.
Davis, the Democratic nominee Those
who believe in the coming OF a new
liberal party, making for a new politi-
cal lineup in this country, feel that
| this showing warrants them in going
Forward now with 4 formal party or
ganization. There. Is no doubt but
what there will be a strong demand
| at the conference in Chicago for such
action.
The Conference for Progressive
Political Action, as originally organ
ized, was not partisan. Some Of the
strongest organizations, which have
been represented In the conference
| including organized labor-the Rail-
road Brotherhoods and the American
Federation Of Labor. have been nom
f, partisan in their political activities
declaring for candidates and princi-
Pies rather than for parties,
The trades unionists, for tho most
part, do not believe that 1t is ad-
visable to organize a labor party as
such. They believe, many of them, in
the progressive principles for which
the third ticket stood during the last
campaign. They are all entirely will
ing that individual members shall
join third party If they desire. But
they do not intend, apparently, at
this stage of the game to tie their
labor organizations up as such with
a new party.
The executive officers Of the rail-
road brotherhoods are TO meet in Chi
cago Friday, the day before the con-
yention of the c. P. p. A., and will de-
eide what their course shall be at that
convention. 1t is likely that, with one
possible exception, the brotherhoods
will turn away from participating in
| a new party, as representative of
their organizations. 1t is one thing to
take part in politics. It Is another
thing to become responsible for a po-
litical party.
10 Leaders of the labor movement-and
| the rank and file also-in this coun-
try have not been particularly i'm
pressed with the achievem ents Of the
Labor party in England, and with the
entrance of labor into political par
ties in other countries in Europe
They do not consider a labor party
practical In this country, largely be-
cause of the laws in the State reIat-
ing to=primary elections and elections
On the other side Of the Atlantic, Ia
Dor owns the labor parties Here a
political party is a kind of public
utility. and under the elections laws
any one may vote for nominees Of any
party he or she sees fit.
Several things may happen in Chicago
IT is possible that the Conference
for Progressive Political Action will
decide to retain it's Identity and to
work along non-partisan lines for
progressive measures and candidates
1t Is also possible that those who
| desire the establishment Of a new lib
eral party will go ahead with such an
organization, entirely outside of the
c. p. p. A. In fact, knowing that the
convention Is called to pass upon the
question of a new party, the proba-
bility is that the majority of those who
attend will be there for that purpose.
Those opposing such move would
more likely remain away.
Frankly, many of the followers of
La Toilette believe that the time has
come for new party, and fully ex-
pect it to be launched in Chicago.
= X X
While organized labor is going q
bit slow, to say the least, about the
formation Of a labor party. it has it's
fighting clothes on over the treatment
| that has been accorded the proposed
child labor amendment to the Consti-
tuition. The fact that the amend
ment has been turned down in
various branches of various State
Legislatures in more than one-quar-
ter of the 48 States does not mean
the amendment is dead, labor leaders
insist. 1t only means that a vigorous
campaign is about to get under way
for the purpose Of electing Legisla-
lures that will vote to radify in at
least 36 Of the States, and thereby
make the amendment stick. They In
sist that q tremendous amount of
propaganda, financed by cotton mih
and other interests, has been spread
over the country In opposition to the
child labor amendment, and has been
the cause, to q considerable extent, of
the failure to ratify up to the present
time.
Democrats in the Senate are won
dering whether the best politics 10 to
continue to oppose the confirmation
OF the nomination Of Charles B. War
rem Of Michigan to be Attorney Gem
eral, or to permit his confirmation
| From the Democratic point OF view
which is by no means the Republican
| Ito have as Attorney General man
to whom they can point as sticky with
sugar will be An asset In the next
campaign, rather than detriment
1t now appears that the chances favor
the confirmation of Mr.. Warren,
whether in the present Senate. or the