Evening star., 1934-03-04
ssNEW PARTY" PROPOSALS
SIGNAL CHANGING NATION
Observers Indicate Belief G.. o. P. May
Furnish Democratic Opposition to
Counteract Revolutionary Trends.

The very novelty Of it, the sensa-
tional quality Of the act Of organiz-
ing new party. would have the ef-
feet of calling the attention of the
people to what is going on. Nothing
that the Republican party can do
would accomplish as swiftly or as def
nitely as the organization of a new
party would, the purpose of making
the public aware that we are in proc
ess of revolutionary change in our
form of society, and of, ultimately,
corresponding change in our form OF
government.
There is merit also in David Law
rence's suggestion that the word
Democratic be included in the title
of the new party-he would call 1t
the Constitution Democratic party"
Normally one would say that the
briefer term, Constitution party"
would be adequate. But Mr.. Law
renee shrewdly sees the practical ad-
vantage of including the term Demo-
cratic" which is the designation Of
one of the old parties.
If the Democrats but knew 1t, the
thing that is being done under their
name at Washington is far more Of
fensive to them than to Republicans.
Indeed, one of the two possible out
comes of the new deal. namely, a big
business Fascism analogous to the
Italian system, would not be utterly
repugnant to all Republicans. Just
now among the various instrument
talities of the new deal, the highly
important N. R. A. tends for the
moment to be in a phase in which 1t
points toward Fascism. Consequently
much of big business tends to ap-
prove it-failing to foresee that Fas-
cism in America, even if it came,
would last but briefly and would be
succeeded by something like Russian
Communism.
Repugnant to Democrats.
To Democrats, however, the revolu-
ton that is under way is utterly re-
pugnant to their principles and ira
ditions. Not only that; it will turn
out to be fatal to the material inter-
ests of some parts of the country that
are strongly Democratic. If the pres
ent program of A. A. A., for example,
is carried out to completion, there
will come time when in large sec
tions Of the eastern portion OF the
South not bale Of cotton will be
raised, million or more Of the in
habitants will be moved by the Gov
ernment to other sections. and many
millions of acres of Southern land
now producing cotton will be turned
into parks.
In any event, old party or new
party, what is needed is first, aware
ness of the public about what is hap
pening. Great usefulness would be
done by some one sensational event
or provoking speech which
would make the public aware that the
| country is changing its form of So
ciety, and that change in the form
Of Government must follow
What Is needed, second, is q state
ment of the principles of the opposi-
ton. 1t is not enough merely to say
I'VE oppose what is being done" It
is probably not enough merely to ask
for allegiance to the Constitution.
What is needed is to make clear just
what American principles of society
and Government are in process of
being scrapped
It is certain that the revolution
now under way cannot go on to COM
pletion except by getting rid of the
independence of the judiciary. The
revolution cannot be made effective
except by getting rid of the freedom
of the press and by suppressing and
Furnishing dissent and non-conform-
lty as thoroughly as they were sup
pressed during the World War. The
revolution cannot 60 on to completion
except by getting rid of the parlia-
mentary form of government. And
these are but three of the fundamen-
tai American institutions that must
pass away if the revolution is to be
complete and to remain permanent.
1t would seem, therefore, that the
platform of an opposition party,
whether Republican or a new party,
would consist in part of asking the
voters to subscribe to and of demand
ing that candidates for Congress ad-
here to independence of the courts,
freedom of the press and freedom of
expression of opinion by the individ-
ual and the parliamentary form of
government-meaning by the latter
Congress elected by the people on a
geographical basis and functioning as
the sole making power.
(Copyright 1934)