Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-01
BY WILLIAM HARD.

What are the great national oues-
| tlonB and issues that the politicians
and statesmen of the National Capital
think they see before them as they
strive 10 gaze into the prospect Of the
new year. 1923?
| Z The welcoming OF the new year is
accompanied by widespread political
pcrplexity about this.
Many politicians here assert that in
| 1923 there will simply be no issues at
all"
They mean that they see no one
great issue that will lead two great con-
| tending political groups into fiery anc
decisive clash.
hey rchearBe the slogans Of bygone
presidential years and they say:
perIalism" 1904: Bust the Trusts. "
New Freedom" 1916: He Kept Us
Out OF War" 1920: THE League Of
Nations" 1924: Economy and Pros
| pcrity."
Where" they say. "is the slogan Of
1922"
So they pity a poor little rich New
Year. which Is born without a slogan
| in its mouth.
Other politicians take view that Is
rather different They thick that the
presidential campaign Of 1923 will re-
VOlve around an issue that will be at
heart extremely definite. They think
that in 1923. as in no othcr presidential
year since the times OF George Wash
| rgtOn. the single central lssue viii be
the sheer ch7rac'er and sheer capacity
Of individual cand date.
They make their argument more CT
less as follows
Demands for fundamental change,
either political or economic. have
faded away. The political cries Of d.
| rect Popular Government" and let the
People Rule" are a:illed. The economic
cries Of Communism" and Socialism"
and "Farmer-Laborism" and Re dis
tribution Of Wealth by Law" have lost
their loudness.
On the political side it is noted that
even the Presidential preference
primary" Is recording losses instead OF
gains. The idea that the people"
should directly nominate the presi-
| dental candidates is today rapidly be-
| coming sere and yellow leaf on dead
tree
In 1912 the contests between Theo-
dore Roosevelt and William Howard
Taft and between Champ Clark and
Woodrow Wilson in the Presidential
preference primaries" were intense and
dramatic. Such primaries were then
novel and were held TO be the purifying
salvation Of presidential politics. In.ti-
ated in Wisconsin in 1905. they seemed
sure TO spread their conquering influ-
ence through all 48 Of our States. BY
1916 there we're. indeed. % States which
had passed Presidential preference pri-
mary" laws.
BY 1924, however. the number OF
States having such laws. instead Of in
creasing. had shrunk 10 la. Two OF
those i9-Montana and North Caro-
lina-have now backshdden from the
cause In 1923 the number OF "presi-
dental preference primary States will
be only II.
There IS no escape from the conclu-
sion that the year 1928 will mark de-
cisively the end Of the period during
which. BY means OF the initiative and
the referendum and the recall and the
direct primary. an effort was made 10
! introduce direct popular Government"
into the American national political
system.
There is a similar retreat. IL is noted
in the economic field. No conservative
politician III 1928 it Is here thought.
will be able 20 make any political capt.
tai In the United States out Of attack
ing the red menace" There is none
To attack
The Workers tCommuniStl party
among us has declined tn a membership
OF some 12.o00. lis daily newspaper in