The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-02-17

Question of Continuing
Movement to Be De-
clded in Chicago.
Times WASHINGTON BureGn
1899 Ne4C York Apfmue.

times W6SHfftuJ0n bWT6un-
1898 Neto York AVtmue.
E3ASHINGTON, Feb. IA
Ml convention in Chicago Satur-
" day will decide the fate Of
the third party movement for the
time being, at least. Called by the
Conference for Progressive Political
Action. the convention will include
some delegates who want new
party now and some who do not.
Which group will have the greater
strength is uncertain, but there ap-
pears to be sufficient of those who
think the right time to launch a
progressive party is right now, to
make sure 1t will be done. That is.
even If the convention majority
should be against the proposal. those
favoring 1t may proceed on their own
to initiate the organization.
Saturdays meeting was called by
the executive council Of the c. p.
p. A., In accordance with instruc.
lions of the Cleveland G. p. p. A..
convention which launched the in
dependent candidacy of La Toilette
and Wheeler This course of action
resulted largely from the wishes Of
Senator La Toilette. He sided with
those in the Cleveland convention
apparently a minority then-who
were averse to organizing a political
party at that time. At his suggestion
the convention agreed to await the
outcome of the independent ca mpaign
to see whether there were sufficient
votes in the land to justify a new
party.
How Many Votes?
So Saturdays debate is likely to
revolve around the question of how
many votes me.ke a political party.
Five million was the figure at which
the leaders Armed at the outset and
that is what they eventually got.
But in the meantime occurred a
period of several weeks during the
campaign when nearly every leader
was certain they would have twice
that many TO count on election day.
The rapid change of sentiment just
before the election left them finally
only their original figure and their
very natural feeling was one of deep
disappointment. Some have re-
covered from this and again think
s 100000 a nice round figure; others
have not and do not.
Among the dissatisfied ones must
be counted most Of the labor leaders,
including those Of the railroad
btotherhoods. Some Of them were
inclined to avoid participation in Sat
urday's meeting, but they have come
to think better of this. They win
meet in Chicago Friday to decide
their own course in the convention
the next day. The brotherhood rep
resentatives incline toward resump.
ton Of the original C. p. p. A. pro.
gram OF maintaining a balance-of.
power organization, supporting pro-
gressives in the old parties In State
and congressional campaigns and
putting Independent candidates In
the field when neither of the old
parties has progressive candidate,
MUST Make Start
The new party advocates feel that
there never will be Progressive
party in this country until a begin.
ming is made. It is bound to be small
atTthe outset, they argue; It is,.use-
less to expect Il to be the majority
party in It's first years or even. per
heps, to be the second party numer
lcally. But they think the organiza,
ton must be formed IL 1t is ever ex.
pected to harvest the votes when the
trend Of the country is toward pro-
gressivism. Just what view Sena.
tor La Toilette holds has not been
revealed, but he is generally thought
to favor the new party idea. He
will not attend the Chicago fnect'
ing, being now recuperating in Flor.
ida from Illness. His son. Robert
M. La Toilette Jr., win be present,
however.
The question of socialism is likely
to enter into the discussion to large
extent. The national socialist leaders
joined in the independent campaign
last summer, while accepting the
elimination Of their own political
platform by the @. p. p. A. conven,
ton. Their belief was that La Fol
lette's candidacy held out greater i'm
mediate hope for the masses of peo-
pie than would the candidacy OF any
Socialist Some objected that they
were sacrificing their principles to
expediency, but most of them went
along cheerfully. Now they are faced
with the demand of many in their
ranks that they return to their own
platform and resume their educa,
tional work. regardless Of any pro
gressive party. They are faced also
with the fact that their presence In
the movement Is not welcome to
some of the progressives.
So three things may come out Of
the G. p. p. A. meeting: The restored
c. p. p. A., tie restored Socialist
party and new national progressive
party.