Evening star., 1932-05-20
Third Party Proposals.

AAAAN oAby AAVPO0AS'
DR.. Nicholas Murray Butler, presi-
dent Of Columbia University, wants a
new, liberal political party. His proposal
is not new, although the platform
which he advances for the party differs
materially from the platforms put for
ward by other proponents of new and
liberal party. For example, the late
Senator Robert M. La Toilette of Wis
consin. who headed the last effort to
establish a new and liberal party In
this country, would never have swal-
lowed DR.. Buffers international plank,
calling for cancellation of war debts,
entry in the World Court and closest
cooperation with the League of Ma
tions. Theodore Roosevelt, who broke
away from the G. Q. P. in 1912 to or
ganize the Progressive Party, would
have had considerable difficulty recon-
cling all of DR.. Buffers fourteen points
with his own views. including the But
Ter proposal upon disarmament.
DIR. Butler is an ardent and sincere
opponent of the eighteenth amendment.
An opponent of that amendment, in
his opinion, is a liberal. Demand for
the repeal of the amendment is the key
stone, the very justification, for his pres
ent appeal for the establishment Of q
new. liberal political party. He apparent
ly does not stop to consider how many
really hberal-niinded men and women
there are in this county who are strong
ly favorable to the eighteenth amend
ment. Nor does he take into considera-
ton how many conservatives there are
who make repeal of the eighteenth
amndment the desired end of all things.
The wet cause despite the other thir-
teen points which DR.. Butler advances,
is the handspring Of his present pro-
posal for new political party.
1t is not clear whether DR.. Butler
lists Senator William Z. Borah of Idaho
as a liberal" or Senator Robert M.
La Toilette jr., of Wisconsin. Certainly
his program for liberal party would
find these gentlemen on the outside,
despite the fact that Mr.. Borah would
agree heartily with DR. Butler On his
disarmament proposal and some of the
other points outlined for party plat
a dry and Senator La Toilette a wet,
yet both Of these gentlemen would re-
sent being labeled anything but pro-
gressive.
Dr. Butler contends that the party
of Jefferson and the party of Lincoln
are dead; that the country needs a new
party. He proposes that the two old
parties unite on a liberal" platform
and 60 forward supporting 1t. After the
two parties have united 1t is apparently
the understanding of DR.. Butler that all
those Democrats and all those Repub-
hcans unable to subscribe to the liberal
platform will form themselves into an
opposition party. He might find that
under such conditions the opposition
would far outnumber the members Of
the new liberal party he proposes.
Great issues, not individual leaders,
produce new political parties. 1t was
thus that the Republican party had its
birth. DR.. Butler apparently considers
prohibition an issue of sufficient i'm
portance upon which to form a new
political party. The rest Of his pro-
gram is incidental, although many OF
his points" are of great Importance.
But the wet cause is to be the rally
ing point for the liberals" He might
have made his plea on the need for
a return to the old fundamental prin-
ciples of the Constitution, with the
rights of the States safeguarded. But
DR.. Butler included in his program
many proposals for paternalistic action
by the Federal Government designed to
catch, perhaps, the so-called progress
sives in both the old parties. He would
probably have been better of had he
taken just one issue instead Of four
teen for his new party.