Evening star., 1932-07-11
MINORITY PARTIES
/ CROWD INTO RACE
At Least Three Seek Role OF
"BuII Moose" and
La Toilette.

By the Associated Press.
Almost numberless third parties
again this presidential election year
beckon to the dissenters from orthodox
tickets and platforms.
To millions of voters, of course, No
vembcr offers Just choice between
Hoover and Roosevelt, but there remain
the aspiring organizers of new groups
with their wide assortment of ideas and
candidates.
Backers of at least three of these
minority movements hope they can play
a role comparable to Theodore RooSe-
velt's Bull Moose" party of 1912 or tc
Bob La FolletteS Progressive sortieS OF
1924.
Prepare for November.
They are: The Prohibition party. rep
resenting one wing OF the country's dry
sentiment; the Liberty party" grouping
the more radical independents of the
Central and Western agricultural zone,
and the League for Independent Politi-
cal Action. based largely on the strength
OF political reformers in the East.
The Democratic and Republican con-
ventions took the headlines and ra-
tional attention. but before, during and
after the major party activity, these
three and others met to prepare for the
November battle.
First of the minority groups in ma
tional attention up to now has been the
Prohibition party This group, which
existed even before the turn of the CEN
tury, blossomed into new life at Indian
apolis last week because of the wet
trend in the platforms of both major
parties
To record a resounding anti-wet pro-
al.% I, Loo 49, Ia, aAn,.
Borah of Idaho and the support of the
big dry organizations. Neither mate
rialized Immediately, so the party offers
as its presidential candidate William
D. UpShaW, ex-Representative and dry
lecturer from Georgia. He is willing
and anxious to quit the saddle the mo-
ment Borah or another national figure
agrees to take that leadership.
Two other groups aspiring to inde-
pendent leadership pitch their platforms
on economic grounds, both left wing, lib
eral or radical, depending on the point
Of view.
Fusion Is Doubtful.
The Liberty party, claiming to be
fusion of Farmer-Labor, Progressive and
Socialist parties. the Monetary League
and the Farmers Union, put forward IN
Kansas City July 4 a ticket headed by
Frank Elbridge Webb of California, the
Farner-Labor candidate OF 1928. He
received Just $500 votes four years ago
Jacob S. Coxey, and such men are lead
ing figures in the partyS activity.
The Farmer-L Labor party Executive
Committee, though, in an Omaha meet
ing yesterday disavowed the action OF
the Liberals" rejecting Webbs noml-
nation and selecting CoXey. So the
Liberal party's fusion" did not fuse
go we'll
League for Independent Political Action
held its convention in Cleveland this
week end. Brain-child of John Dewey
New York philosopher and constant
champion of better conditions for
labor. public control of utilities. inter-
national leveling of tariff walls. civil
liberty, disarmament and such causes,
the movement centered on definite
platform.
It gave it's qualified Endorsement,
howeve~ to Norman E. Thomas, presl-
dental choice of the Socialist party
Thomas has a wide following among
intellectual independents. Four years
ago he was the third candidate on votes
polled. amassing more than a quarter
million.
Communist Party Busy.
Besides these three groups and their
components, the Communist Workers
party offers again William z. Foster, re-
cipient Of nearly $4,000 votes IN the
election which made Herbert Hoover
President. The Socialist-Labor party
puts forward Vernie L. Reynolds, one
time steamfitter, who through various
minority parties in 1928 received 2l,6Oa
votes from 19 States.
Many other lesser groups are in the
field again this year with Labor" In
dustrial," National" and similar label;
to identify them. One Of these, known
simply as the National party at In
dianapoNs Saturday nominated John
Zahnd of indianapolis as its candidate
A survey of the entire list has yet tc
disclose anything entirely new or any
thing definitely pointed so far toward
great strength.