Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-26
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Dewey's Third Party.


John Dewey of Columbia University, to
put little more philosophy into poll
tics. In word, Prof. Dewey proposes
the establishment of a third party, a
new party, into which shall be gathered
all the liberal thought in the country.
He proposes that Senator George w.
Norris of Nebraska, the Senate's leading
insurgent, shall head the new party.
Prof. Dewey, in addition to being a
professor of philosophy at Columbia
University, is the national chairman of
the League for Independent Political
Action. Such an organization does not,
at first glance, appear to be fertile
ground for the establishment of a poll
teal party, new, liberal or otherwise.
As head of the league, Prof. Dewey has
been preaching disregard of party lines.
WHO knows but that, once the proposed
Inew party has been formed, Prof. Dewey
land his proposed party leader Senator
'Norris-will continue to be politically
Independent? Political parties which
succeed have been established by men
who have definite ideas about govern
inent to which they stick, not by men
glance, or who vote first with one side
and then with another. 1t would be
particularly distressing if, after the new
party had been erected behind Senator
Norris, the Nebraska Senator should
exercise that independence of all party
loyalty for which he has become famous
and leave the new party high and dry
or perhaps wet.
For Prof. Dewey, in his demand for
new party on liberal lines, has so far
failed to indicate whether the new
party should favor the eighteenth
amendment to the Constitution or OPP
pose it. With the proposal, coming as
1t does from a member of the faculty
Of university presided over by Dr.
Nicholas Murray Butler, the suppose
ton is that at least it would contem-
plate the organization of q new party
not bound to the dry side of the
prohibition issue. 1t is quite true that
Senator Norris gave his support In 1928
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the Democratic party. Alfred e. Smith.
But Senator Norris and his friends
advance the argument that Mr.. Norris
has always shown himself friendly to
the cause of prohibition. Prof. Dewey
should by all means make 1t clear
whether the new party is to be liberal
In regard to the liquor question. Per-
haps in the politics of philosopher
there is no such word as liquor.
The demand has been heard in the
land for years for a new political align
nnent, with all the hberal-minded on
one side Of the fence and all the con-
sentative minded on the other; with
the sheep separated from the goats, or
vice versa, according to taste. 1t has
been impossible, however, for any one
yet to bring about such an alignment.
There have been too many different
degrees of liberalism, too many of con-
Gervatism. There have been too many
issues, such as prohibition for example,
over which liberals and conservatives
have divided among themselves. 1t
does not appear likely that Prof. Dewey
and Senator Norris-should the latter
accept the proposal of the Columbia
professionally succeed any better than
or as well as-did the late Theodore
Roosevelt or the late Robert NJ. La
Toilette in their efforts to head liberal
parties.
Prof. Dewey may be quite right when
he says to Senator Norris that he has
no place in the Republican party and
should quit 1t. But that has not been
the attitude to date Of Senator Norris
when it comes to running for Office. He
has stayed consistently within the folds
Of the G. o. P. whenever these many
years he has sought public Office.
Never yet has he run for anything as
an independent" despite his constant
demands for independence in politics.
He has run as a Republican. When
he himself is running, his Republican
enemies ascribe his loyalty to the party
TO q fear that If he discarded the
q. o. P. designation he would fare not
90 well at the polls. This may be doing
the Nebraska Senator an injustice.
However, it is exceedingly doubtful that
Prof. Dewey will be able to wean Sena-
Tor Norris from his sexennial allegiance
20 the Republican party.