The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-12-08
Raskob Takes on a Real Job

Chairman Raskob has some job on his hands in
reorganzing or in organizing, the Democratic party
1t is something quite different from organizing
great industrial concern like General Motors In
way it is a chemical job as intricate making
good mixture of oil and water. Especially if Con-
gresham Garner of Texas is right when he says the
Democratic party must be one of liberalism
For long time there foundation upon
which to build-the wel1-known democratic principles
of Thomas jefferson and the solid Democratic South
But that foundation isn't what it used to be- Jefer
sonian democracy has surrendered to sumptuary
legislation prohibition fundamentaliSm, and Ku
Klux Kanisrn, and the shrewd Republican politicians
who manipulate the Anti-Saloon League lobby have
helped the G. o. P to split that historic southern
solidty into warning factions.
In the meantime, they have helped to build up a
Republican solid north, east, and west.
With Jeffersonian principles thrown overheard,
with the Bill of Rights gone the way of Santa Claus
Mother Goose and Grimm's fairy tales, with the
tariff forevenue only consigned to the habitat of the
dodo and states rights sitting in Calvin Coolidges
lap what new ingredients will Raskob start with
when he begins to organize synthetic Democratic
party?
And what does Garner suggest by way of lib
erasm?
Woodrow Wilson tried liberalism dealizng and
humanizing the old Democratic party, but when the
Anti-Saloon League lobby said "boo" the Democratic
congress turned TAIL ran away from him and Jeffer
son and passed the Vostead act his Jefersonian
veto.
Wayne B. Wheeler, Ohio Republican, had more in
f1uence with Democratic senate than Democratic
President Wilson had. Republican prohibition poll
tcians sat in a nearby hotel in 1924 and controlled
more than 300 votes in the Madison Square Garden
convention across the street.
The funny thing about it all is that these Re
publican powers, headed by the Anti-saloon League
lobby, always support the Republican party after
the nominations are made, but beforehand have
powerful influence in making up the Democratic
ticket and platform. They pick Clean stuff and cook
the Democratic goose and then feed it to the Re-
publicans.
There ought to be vigorous opposition party, of
course. Under party system of government there
should always be a strong minority to which we may
turn when the majority party needs punishment.
The Democratic party seems to have as many lives
as a cat 1t has taken powerful punishment and has
come back. Even after three tries Bryan couldn't
kill it.
It has been knocked down and dragged out, but
always had enough life left in it to keep on kicking.
But some people got the impression that about all it
could do was to kick and that it couldn't kick
literally.
1t seems to have lost the soul with which Jefferson
endowed it; and political parties that profess lber
alism can't very well get along without soul. So
Raskobs first job is to buy the party a soul,
resurrect Jefersonian democracy and renew the soul
with which it started; and that involves sweeening
the old Jefersonian soil that has done gone sour.