Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-01-13

Study of the fate of third-party move
ments in American politics has con-
WINGED most commentators that the talk
of a third party in the coming national
campaign Is unlikely to produce tangi-
BILE results.
"It is a certainty that the next Presi-
dent will be either a Republican or q
Democrat, declares the South Bend
Tribune, voicing the thought that the
radicals are deriving enjoyment from
the idea that their opposition is feared
by the Democratic and Republican
managers" and the conclusion that
thus their self-esteem is fertilized ap-
parently without serious damage to the
Nation" The Harrisburg Telegraph
feels that "the wild talk may not be
without its benefits" for, In the opin-
ion of that paper, very likely 1t Will
bring about wise concessions and useful
compromises" for "the Republican leaa3
ers are in no position to be arbitrary
so far as the principle OF pubic
favoritism for the safer and usually
more conservative prospects can Apply
to the present situation" according 10
the Springfield (Mass) Union, III
would indicate that the effect OF
radical third party would be to draw
from the Democratic rather than the
Republican party, and would be more
likely to help President Hoover tnan 10
hurt him" This view Is helo also oy
the Abilene Reporter, which recalls InaC
La Toilette polled almost nVe mlillo1
popular votes in 1924, but the only enecl
was to emphasize the Coolidge victory.
An obstacle which Is pointed out by
the Oklahoma City Times Is in the fact
that there Is no leader IN slght OF
such magnitude as to hope to lead q
third-party ticket to victory in 1882.
The Times adds: Unless they blunder
tremendously, the Democrats have an
excellent chance Of electing the next
President, But 1t will be true In 1882,
az n ALWAYS has been, that third-party
movement will weaken the old party
who.e leaders sponsor the new organi-
cation. Democrats. with the best
chance In years before them, owe it
to themselves and the country TO AVOID
such mistakes"
"a third party may be useful as
violent stimulant to an older party
advises the St. Louis Times, but as
successful organization 1t stays on the
track about once in a whole mock OF
blue moons It's easier ana more prac-
tical to remodel an old party than to
bmild a new one from the ground up,
especially in view of the fact that there
viii never be more than two kinds OF
voters. the liberal and the conserVa-
tive" The Rock Island Argus empha-
sizes the fact that 1T Is matter OF
history that only one third party has
ever been successful. That was the
newly organized Republican party"
continues the Argus, and Its nominee.
Abraham Lincoln, received only 40 per
cent of the popular vote. Mr.. Lincoln
was elected by split in the dominant
party, the Democratic. A tniro
party received 271a per cent OF the pop
ular vote In 1912 and 1872 per cent IN
1924. What might prove to be deter
ring influence to organizing q tntrd
party is that possibly about IS posts
he .Republican radicals now hold On
House and Senate committees might be
forfeited
'Dffrering from some other observers,
the Sioux City Journal maintains that
"a third party movement next year
would result in the election OF Demo-
crat to the presidency" and that the
third-party ticket would not get far
except to divide votes between itself
and the Republicans and permit the
Democrats to win the electoral votes of
States that they otherwise could not
carry" The Journal charges that III
the independent prosressives do put 4
ticket in the field 1t win be for revenge
upon the Hoover administration and
nothing else" t...
III these insurgents wegs rsanxts,
II thay were sQnipped with 4 nill
measure Of courage, intellectual tntse~
rity and devotion to the common good,
l3S Se H2H NesS H,ssI rtsfSS,