Evening star., 1925-08-05
Politics at Large
BY G.. Could Lincoln

The Fall will see a revival Of
activity by the Democratic national
committee, in the opinion of influential
Democratic leaders in Washington
during the last week. Whether Clem
Shaver Of West Virginia, chairman
since the last Campaign, remains in
| office or steps aside, this Is likely to
happen, it was said. As one Of the
leading men in the party said:
1T is impossible for the Democratic
party or any other party which as
pires to be national in its scope to con-
| duct a campaign only during the 80
days Immediately preceding an cleo
| ton and hope to win. There must
be a constant campaign of education,
so that the people may understand
| the issues and the policies and princi-
Piles OF the Democratic party"
Before the Democrats hold a meet
! ing of the national committee, or OF
| national leaders, in Washington or
elsewhere, as has been proposed in
some quarters, it will be necessary
| to hold many informal and prelimi-
nary discussions throughout the coun-
| try, 1t Is felt here. Little good would
come from merely herding the Demo
cratic leaders together, without first
| sounding them out and ascertaining
| in a measure what may be done
toward harmony and q uniflcation OF
the party again. Indeed, unless some
program or agenda is definitely IN
hand, such a meeting not unlikely
| would break up in a row, with the
factions lining up as they did In
New York in 1924.
There seems to be a very definite
feeling, however, on the part OF the
Democrats that they must start the
national machinery again through n
their national committee, so as to
make it possible for the Democrats to
| take advantage of any situation that
| may rise in the country. Unless there
is continuous team work, under the
| present day methods, a victory at the
! polls would be out of the question.
Democratic leaders who have looked
carefully into the situation believe
that there is room for a liberal party
| in the country, and that the Demo
cratic party should be the liberal
party. They do not mean by liberal"
| that the party should be radical. Their
| faces are turned against making the
party radical. But they see the Demo
cratic party flourishing somewhere be-
| tween the ultra-conservative group
and the red radicals. There is de-
| mand for such a party, they insist.
| y X
Chairman William NJ. Butler of the
Republican national committee and
Senator from Massachusetts, has in
dicated the Republican campaign is
| sue in the congressional elections TO
! be held next year. 1t is Calvin
| Coolidge as it was in the
| national elections last year. Senator
| Butler made this very clear in a
| prepared address delivered before the
Essex County Republican Club of
Essex County, Mass, few days ago,
which, by the way, was attended by
| the President himself Discussing
the situation, Mr.. Butler said:
Loyalty to the party leadership of
| Calvin Coolidge and the Republican
| principles he represented was meant
| by the outcome of the last national
election. The next major political
| event is not listed on the calendar
| until November, 1926. A year from
| now we will be engaged, in certain
| States, at least, in the preliminary
| primary contests. l do not need to
| speak to you of the vital importance
of these elections. On their final
outcome will largely depend the abil-
| ity of the President to carry out the
program which the people of the
Nation have already indorsed by an
! Overwhelming vote. To make 1924
effective we must win in 1926"
Coolidge, his administration and his
program will be the rallying cry of
| the Republicans next year. Under
| the system of electing q Congress
every two years and a President
| every four in this country, it not in
frequently happens that the hands of
| the Chief Executive are firmly tied
| by the choice of a Congress which is
4 u - III.
| as in the case of the last Wilson term.
| This situation results in strife, and
| nothing but strife, instead of CO.
| operation between the executive and
| legislative branches of the Govern
ment. A more effective arrangement
would be to make the term of Con
gress coincide with that of the Presi-
| dent.
Notwithstanding the blows which
| it has neutrality-suspicious. the
death of Senator La Toilette
the Progressive group which sup.
ported La Toilette in the last cam.
paign and which voted in Chicago
| last February to go ahead with the
| organization of a new liberal party
| has announced it will hold national
convention this Fall, probably either
in Chicago or Minneapolis, and that
! the movement will be crystallized at
| this convention. William H. John
ston, president of the international
| Association of Machinists, heads the
executive committee in charge of ar
| rangements for the convention. With
the Democrats taking a new lease on
| life, and the ReubIicans still further
! intrenching themselves, the prospects
| for the proposed new party do not
| seem as bright as they might. Almost
| at the same time announcement was
made by the Progressives' committee
that they would continue with the new
party organization, Robert La Fol
lette, jr., announced his intention tC
run for the Senate In Wisconsin this
Fall to succeed his father. In all his
! campaigns except. the last, Senator
La Toilette ran as a Republican-the
Republican organization in Wisconsin
! is the La Toilette organization even
| today. And now young Bob La Fol
lette must decide whether he, too, is
to run as a Republican or as ar
independent. If he sticks to the Re
publican appellation. he will take the
same position as Senators Brookhart
of Iowa, Frazier of North Dakota and
Norris of Nebraska, all of whom be
| long to the progressive bloc in the
Senate, but all of whom ran for of
| fee as Republicans, although they
supported the La Follette-Wheeler
ticket in the campaign.
| The decision of the executive coun
| ell of the American Federation OF
Labor to return to it's old policy OF
non-partisan political action was
merely another indication that the
third party movement has apparently
| lost its opportunity to spring widely
into existence-an opportunity which
| seemed at hand during the campaign
last year. The Socialists, too, have
turned their back on this movement
and are preparing to rehabilitate the