Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-14


tor Of philosophy-Ph. d.,
professor of philosophy at Co
~ lumbia University and advo-
cate of new political party,
says, THE old parties and the party
systera operated by them have broken
down."
To which Editor Harry Nimmo of the
though by no means unsympathetically
Nes0i+S, Right you are. professor; but
what are you going to do about it?"
Editor Nimmo's Skepticism about a
third party in the coming campaign Is
born of long experience with politics
and most of us who share his expert
ence share likewise his skepticism on
this point. And the proof We usually
cite of the ineffectiveness Of attempts
at a third party Is the proof that Mr..
Nimmo cites: Theodore Roosevelt"
says Editor Nimmo to Prof. Dewey,
had the same idea as long ago as 1912,
and In spite Of his commanding person.
atty, the best he could do was to bull
moose Democrat into the White House
and himself return to the Republican
party"
Roosevelt Experience Cited.
That is the answer that lies in the
mind of every experienced observer
when third-party movements are pro-
posed in this coming campaign. 1t is
the answer that lies in the mind Of
every practical politician. 1t is the an
swer let us add, that lies in the minds
of most of the potential leaders Of
third-party movements. However much
they may wish to take the step, how
ever sincere their sense of the need. or
however ardent their personal ambition
experience whispers in the ear OF
ambition that success cannot be.
Theodore Roosevelt's attempt at a
third party in 1912 was the most for
midable the country has ever seen cat
least since 1866. Roosevelt was him.
self by far the most attractive public
man in the country; he had been PreSt-
dent himself and the prestige he had
acquired in that office was only part OF
the glamour that surrounded him: he
had a much larger personal following
than either tie leader of the Republic
can party (Taft) or the leader of the
Democratic party (Woodrow WILSON,
Roosevelt had orge nization. far more
than any third-party leader could du-
plicata today-in State after State the
whole of the old Republican organiza-
ton moved over to Roosevelt bodily.
Roosevelt had funds, and funds-lots of
fundS-are indispensable. Rarely has
either of the old parties commanded
such generous contributions rs were
made to Roosevelt's thirty party by the
late George w. Perkins the late Frank
A. MunSey and others. Literally, 1T was
a case of "how much is needed" And
finally, Roosevelt had an alluring and
popular cause, carefully worked out.
Carried Dead Horse"
Yet Roosevelt did not succeed. He
knew on election night (although he
got ~ per cent of the total vote) that
he had not successfully founded third
party, but had only made a temporary
split In the Republican party. He knew
as early as election night Qf many Of
his followers, infatuated or naive, did
not) that the Progressive party was
doomed; that America was going to
continue to be a two-party country.
Roosevelt knew that and knew also
this is one of the pains of leadership
that he must not shock his followers or
satisfy his enemies by saying he knew
the Progressive party was failure. He
spent the next four years in-as he
once expressed 1t rather poignantly to
the writer of this article a
de5d horse on my shoulders"
To complete this historical back
ground 1t should be added that in so
years America has had as many at
tempts at third parties as it has had
presidential campaigns-more, because
in several campaigns there were two
or even more third parties. so to speak.
The rule has been that the aggregate
of all the "off" parties got less than
2 per cent of the total vcte-and no
electoral vote at all, because they car
ried no State.
The Prohibition party during the
many presidential campaigns before
they learned to be politically effective
by not having a party Of their own and
exerting their influence on both the
regular parties) used to get mere
handful of votes. For example, in 1916
the Prohibition candidate got 220,500
votes out Of total Of 1922 ,000-a lit
tie more than per cent, and that was
about the average Of Prohibition party
success.
La Toilette Failure.
The Socialists, likewise used to get
mere handful. Debs. who ran as the
Socialist candidate five times, got in
votes out Of total of, roughly, 26,000,-
600, and that was more than twice the
average success Of the Socialist party.
Next to RooSevelt's 1912 attempt, the
most formidable third party in 40 years
was La Follette's in 1924, when he ran
under the combined title of La Toilette
party, Independent party, Progressive
party and Socialist party-and got less
than 100000 votes (4,822,8 1850 out Of
a total of hearty 10000, 900 (29, 091 AID.
Even at that La Toilette carried but one
State, his own-Wisconsin-an in the
electoral count had 13 electors out Of
SCI.
OF all the third parties in 40 years
the one having the nearest analogy to
q potential third party the coming year
was James B. Weaver's PopuliSt party
in 1892. This is the nearest analogy to
IlAXt yea re ~ mo i'm Lanal..a