Evening star., 1937-02-28
TOWNSEND'S CASE SHOWS
FUTILITY OF THIRD PARTY
Disturbing Shadow Cast by o. A. r. P.
Before Election Now Seems Alb
surd-Other Efforts Recalled.
BY JOHN H. CLINE.
<HE contempt trial of DR.. Fran
els E. Townsend, elderly propo-

"HE contempt tr1al OF Dr. fran.
els E. Townsend, elderly propo-
nent of old-age pensions,
= has served to emphasize what
has become a truism of American
politics-namely, that ours is two
party political system.
In the light of the last election, it
seems almost incredible that the third
party prophets could have cast such a
disturbing shadow across the political
scene. That their claims to the sup
port of "20,000000" voters gave rise
TO grave apprehensions in the minds
Of men who should have known better
seems a little ridiculous at this stage
Of the game.
BY way of demonstrating the ap-
parent futility of third-party move
ments in this country, it is interesting
to note what has become of these
political soothsayers and their sugar.
coated cures for the economic ills that
gripped the Nation.
Plan Headed for Rocks.
Elderly DR.. TownSend's old-age pen
sion scheme is headed for the rocks
of internal dissension and economic
absurdity.
Representative William Lemke Of
North Dakota. the Union partys can
didate and the most feared of the
third-party nominees, is back in the
House Despite the trumpeting and
extravagant claims of his supporters,
he polled fewer than million votes
out of some 45,000,000 ballots cast.
Lemke, of course never had chance
to win the election, but it was thought
he might take enough votes away
from the President in close States to
give them to Gov. LandOn, and some
of his supporters claimed he would
win enough electoral votes to throw
the election into the House of Repre-
sentatives for decision. AS it was, his
candidacy didn't affect the outcome in
single State.
Down in louisiana Rev. Gerald L.
K. Smith has announced he is form
ing the Committee of One Hundred
to fight the Communists. Rev. Mr..
Smith jumped into the limelight when
an assassin's bullet ended the life
of Huey P. Long. Oratorically gifted,
he promptly donned the mantle Of
the "kingfsh" and announced that
the campaign to share the wealth
and make every man a king would
be carried on-under his direction.
Joined With Townsend.
He joined forces with DR.. Town
send and later broke with him. He
was one of those to rally behind the
candidacy of Lemke and was author
OF the assertion that the various
forces supporting the North Dakota
Legislator represented 100000 voters.
Now, however, Rev. Mr.. Smith has dis
appeared from the national scene
and will conflne himself to COM
batting what he considers the depre-
dations of the Communists.
Another prominent third party
figure was Father Charles E. Cough
lin, head of the National Union for
Social Justice. Last August he said
his organization numbered 100000
members and he pledged their sup
port to the candidacy of Lemke.
From the fourteenth floor of a New
York Office building his N. U. S. j.
publicity machine ground out reams
Of copy and from Royal Oak Mich,
Father Coughlin broadcast many a
bitter attack on President Roosevelt
and his New Deal policies. Although
the New York Cffice is now in dark
ness, Father Coughlin is bac.. on the
air. His current broadcasts. how
ever, are in a minor key. The in
ternational bankers still are among
his targets, but, like Rev Mr.. Smith,
he has made communism the chief
center of his attack. He still pub
fishes his magazine and the radio
work goes forward, but when Father
Coughlin went to New York recently
his presence caused scarcely a
ripple-a striking contrast to the
Summer of 1886
Case of Father Cox.
Among the lesser lights now Ian
gushing in political exile is the spec
tacular Father James r. Cox of Pitts
burgh, whose name figured prominent
ly in the headlines during the early
days of the depression. A former taxi
starter, he organized the "Jobless
Party" and called for a S5,O0O,0O 900
public works program and immediate
payment Of the bonus. Both of these
projects subsequently became law, but
his unemployed march on Washing
ton" faded into insignificance and by
1886 the "Jobless Party" was nothing
but a memory.
Upton Sinclair, with his Epic plan,
and Howard Scott, creator of tech
nocracy," both are political -beens.
There still remains the career of
Conner Smith of Oklahoma, which is
indicative of the trend in the Town
send movement. After splitting with
DR.. Townsend he ran unsuccessfullv
for the senatorial nomination in his
native State. Now he has come out
with a plan for the formation of the
National Pension and Service League.
This plan is calculated to draw fol-
lowers from DR.. Townsend's o. A.
r. P. and Is very similar in its salient
provisions.
Its effect on the Townsend move
ment is uncertain, but that the doc
eors power Is waning was indicated