Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-04-15
Politics at Large
BIZ y. o. MESSENGER.

JEFFERSON day in Democratic circles
came and went with less celebration
than usual by the faithful, and with
no factional fireworks. much to the
disappointment of Republicans, who
had hoped to see the sparks fly. Some
proposed banauets did not materialize,
and prospective speakers were not
given opportunity to air their views
or disclose their differences, personal
and factional.
About the best thing said by Dem
ocrat recently is credited TO franklin
d. Roosevelt of New York. Writing
ON the subject Of Democratic har-
mony, he said: II want to see the
Democracy a great chorus instead of
an opera in which all are trying to be
the prima donna" Wonder whom he
could have meant?
Mr. Roosevelt, who, it falls out. has
recently been in touch with William
Jennings Bryan in Miami, claims that
the Republicans are overpiaying their
hand in their allegations of Demo
cratic discord. He says that as a
matter of simple fact most of this SO.
called discord relates to local or per
sonal matters as distinguished from
national principles. The Republican
party, he insists, has within it's rank
and file far more true discord, in that
they differ among themselves on mat
ters of basic principles.
Writing to Edward E. Britton, chair
man of the executive committee OF
the National League OF Progressive
Democracy, regretting his inability to
attend the proposed Jefferson day din
ner of the league in this city last
Monday night, which was abandoned
Mr. Roosevelt said:
The true issue recurs in every act
of those who control the Republican
party. They, flushed with success
openly admit that their sole ideal to
be that of prosperity-the prosperity
of money, and yet more money, ma
terialism for the benefit of priv
legged few, but colored with the delib
crate objective of deceiving the aver
age citizen into the erroneous benei
that IL will benefit the many. with
the old American funda mental though,
Of honest government for the many
the Republican leaders have no sym
pathy."
Mr.. BRYAN in his letter TO Chairman
Britton, regretting that he could no,
be present at the banquet, contendec
that the Democratic party was never
more progressive than it is now. de
said that in the past it had been the
misfortune of the Democrats to nave
a number of reactionartes in prom
nent positions. just enough to MAKE
progressive Republicans suspicious OF
the Democratic party's personnel anc
purposes There are now very Few
reacttonary Democrats in positions OF
prominence to handicap our party
and we are in a position 70 go for
ward in defense of the rights OF the
plain people.
The National League of Progress
sive Democracy, which proposed the
holding of the jefferson day dinner
here, is explained by Chairmap Brit
ton to be IAN organization OF pri
Yates In the ranks of Democracy Wh'
believe in emphasizing progressive
views. The league does not have TO
it's purpose the advancing OF th'
cause of any candidate for ONCE. bu
is simply intended to be an organiza
ton enabling progressive Democrat:
to express their views and 10 en-
deavor to present these views clearly
to Democrats and voters generally
throughout the country" WomeT
are included in the membership of the
league. 1t is noted that in both the
Republican and Democratic parties
the "progressives" are making
strong drive for the support of tbs
woman voters of the country in theiI
respective ranks.
Women seem TO be looked upon as
non-reactionaries in politics and in
herently prone to support progressive
movements. Some of these days
somebody Is going to stand up II
meeting and explain where the lint
is drawn that separates a reaction
ary" from a progressive" and define
exactly, what is the difference between
the two classes. Maybe some brigh
woman can furnish the explanation
for no male has yet been able to d.
ii. Politicians say that there is more
'bunkum" about the application o.
the word progressive than AM
other political term in general use
There is no copyright on it, anybody
can use it and most everybody does.
Even the Socialists and the La Fol
letteites in the last campaign sought t
take it for their party's own use
, thereby raising a storm of protes
from the original progressives. AnC
it is queer thing that you can never
get a reactionary to confess himself
to be a reactionary. He knows there
are such things, but tbey must be il
the other party-they are not ii
| his.
Political reports from Iowa conve,
the information that Iowa Democrat
have a white hope" for the presi
Dental nomination in the person o
Edwin T. Meredith, former Secretar.
of Agriculture. Iowa Democrats ar
said to believe that neither the Smitl
or the McAddo factions will ever b
able TO nominate their candidate an,
| that the nomination is more thai
| likely to go to the West. Mr. Mere
dith had been invited by the Meade
men in Iowa to attend the jefferson
| day dinner in Kansas City, but hi
| friends advised him to fight shy O
what they expected might be an effor
! on the part of McAdoo supporters I
entangle Mr.. Meredith in their net.
Democratic politiciansN who do no
| think that Mr. McAdoos should b
nominated or that he could be as loni
! as Gov. Smith is a candidate for tn
| nomination. are amazed at the pert
! nacfty of the McAdoo followers il
! keeping the McAdoo boom alive.
| And by the same token Democrat
who think Gov. Smith an impossibilit,
| are puzzled over the activity. recent
renewed. of the Smith boomers 70
| 1928. Neither of these two faction
| can understand why either of the tw
suggested candidates can overlook tn
| lesson of the last Democratic nationa
! convention, or lose sight of the ur
DERIVING facts which ruled the actor
of that convention.
! X
The latest suggestion current il
Democratic political circles is tina
these candidates should mutuall
| agree to abandon their candidates.
| That was tried out in the last pre-