Evening star., 1936-09-21
Urged to Repeat.

AAAS &sSW 4sOPAbAAN, CDtdbAlDa4Ou Wy
generous economic royalist" as toy for
a group of radicals and liberals who
wanted "a journal of opinion" with which
to play, now has become definitely an
extremist organ. 1t advises its readers to
vote locally for Socialist or Communist
candidates and nationally for President
Roosevelt and the New Deal. The theory
of its position is that a large protest
showing will exert leftward influence
on the next administration" and will
prepare the way for a national labor
party in 1910.
Such an attitude, of course, is natural
enough on the part of men who believe
in political processes for the attainment
Of social order more nearly paradisial
in character than that which at present
prevails. They are revolutionists of
sort, and they wish the ma jority of their
fellow citizens to move in the direction
Of an effective revolt against the condi-
tions which they personally find objec-
tionable-conditions which through the
altruistic idealism of the late willard
Straight gave them the means to agitate
for the drastic and thoroughgoing re-
forms upon which they have set their
hearts.
The question is whether or not the
electorate will be willing to trust the
guidance of "the little group of serious
thinkers whose basic assumptions" are:
THE era of capitalism is past its zenith
80 We believe the only ultimate solu-
ton compatible with human dignity, and
with the basic faith of the American
Republic in democracy, equality and lib
erty, lies in the direction of a socialized
organization Of production and distribu-
tion, an order which will be capable of
maintaining secure abundance and rails
ing the material and cultural well being
of the people. 1t is important to make
a transition to such an order as quickly
as may be. 1t is also important to make
the transition with as little pain and
shock to living generations as possible
and particularly without regressing
temporarily into war or fascism. .
There is at present no reliable political
instrument in the United States for
carrying out this purpose"
What the New Republic theorists really
want is "a party that is at once collec-
twist in tendency and finds its sinews
of support in organized labor and farm
ers, party that can be stable, that can
grow, and that can win the adherence
of the masses-including, naturally
white-collar and professional workers" !"
Otherwise stated, they banker for a
Socialist party with brains. 1t has not
occurred to them that in a red democracy
intelligence is penalized and that they
themselves would be frightfully
Squelched by the direct actionists"
among those classes in which they have
such monumental confidence.
But their error more notably lies in
the fact that they suppose the multi
tude to be temperamentally inclined to
the "left." The contrary is true, and
there is nothing more reactionary in the
world than an individual who has tried
radicalism and learned by sad expert
ence what a snare and a delusion it is.
Millions voted their rebellion against the
traditional system in 1882. The New
Republic editors urge them to repeat the
experiment. But the hope of less adven-
turous thinkers is that they will refuse
to take second chance. America ought
not to be ready for collectivism. If it Is,
the people are deceived about the sig
nif1cance of scheme whose purpose is
wholesale impoverishment and slavery in
the name of secure abundance" and
material and spiritual well-being,"
which cannot be dreamed, voted or
coerced into existence.