Evening star., 1934-02-19


Governor of the largest State in the
Union; Carter Glass, United States
Senator from Virginia and faithful
follower of Woodrow Wilson; Senator
Thomas p. Gore Of Oklahoma, as clear
and progressive q constitutionahst as
can be found in either party today.
These men have enunciated the
doctrines Of new leadership. II they
ere mere partisans they will stick to
the so-called Democratic party. II
they are ready to make the sacrifice
on the basis Of principle, they will
forget all considerations but the de-
velopment Of an alternative party
which can act as a balance wheel to
the Socialist Democratic party-for
this in fairness ought to be the name
of the party now in charge Of the
Government-and prepare to take
over the leadership some day when
the" New Deal gets to the edge of
the precipice and the public clamors
madly for sound government, sound
currency and practical men at the
helm.
1t may even happen that such a
new party will some day find Franklin
Roosevelt moving toward 1t and away
Ramsay Macdonald in Britain moved
away from the Labor party when he
saw the debacle which Socialism had
brought to the British Empire.
Just . Party Label.
There are men in the Progressive
wing Of the Republican party who
for years have been isolated They
could not get support in national
election from the regular Repub-
hcans. They could only win locally.
Yet these insurgent Republicans at
last have found militant sponsors in
another national party. They have
been accepted by the Socialist
Democrats. This is as it should be.
The insurgent Republicans belong in
the Socialist Democratic party. They
should have left the Republican party
many years ago. They were out of
sympathy with 1t. and logically, too.
For the name Republican" had be-
come meaningless except as a party
label in elections.
The first step, Of course, would he
the election Of members Of Congress
on a new ticket. If candidates who
have been elected on the regular Re
publican ticket heretofore feel they
would be Handicapped by entering the
polls under a relatively unknown party
label they could seek the nomination
under both the regular Republican
and the Constitution Democatic tick
cts, just as Senator johnson is doing
in California with respect to the reg
ular Democratic and the Progressive
Republican party nominations for the
United States Senate.
1t will take some time to effect a
fusion of Constitution Democrats and
former Republicans because of the
comrleMty of State laws, but there
can be no doubt that the State Leg
islatures will strongly support modi-
fication of such laws for the States
will have everything to gain and moth
ing to lose by permitting the develop
ment Of political party that seeks
to preserve State government In
America. Political parties are not
built in a day. Four to six years is
not too long for the formative period.
OF the People.
From a popular standpoint the Con-
stitution Democratic party would have
the support Of vast numbers Of people
who believe that individual initiative
should not be squelched, who recog-
nize Federal bureaucracy as the pre-
cursor of a disintegrating republic
and who wish to see the American
dollar returned to a basis on which
the Government will pledge a metallic
reserve in redemption Of its paper
money.
I have not discussed the subject
matter or any phase of this article
with the men mentioned herein as
possible leaders of the movement, nor
have I broached it to anyone iden-
titled with either of the ajor parties
as a leader or financial sponsor.
have purposely refrained from doing
so in order that the plan might be
discussed on its merits as the sug-
gestion Of disinterested observer and
for what 1t is intended to be-a topic
for the political debate of our times
Such a party as I have outlined
should be financed not by the captains
OF industry or finance but by the IS
contributions OF small business men
and property owners throughout the
country, the people who own their
own homes, the masses who toll with
their hands and the millions of per-
sons, like school teachers, state and
city employees and the personnel of
public institutions Of various kinds
whose fixed incomes soon will become
woefully inadequate to meet living
costs as the price level ascends And
above all it should appeal to the
farmer Of America whose right to till
their soil is about to be taken from
them in . program of Government
coercion.
In short, the Constitution Demo-
cratic party should be q party Of the
people and for the people-a party
based on the square deal Of Thomas
Jefferson as distinguished from the
raw deal of the fascist-communist
state which is being insidiously
wrought for us by the brain trust"
nhi1oSONhies of the hoilr