Evening star., 1937-10-31
TH|RD-PARTY SEEDS.
>S0WN IN MIDWEST
Leaders Disagree on Tao.
tIcs-Democratic Split
May Decide Outcome.
BY DOUGLAS r. MACKENZIE,
Associated Press Staff Writer.

Associated Press Staff Writer
The seeds Of new national polit-
ical movement, designed by its leaders
to encompass the Nation, have been
sown in the Middle West, where the
Non-Partisan League, the Farmer
Labor and Progressive parties sprang
up in past years.
One consideration, however, dis
tinguishes the days when these State
parties grew to power from the cur
rent attempt to direct a new national
movement to seek to wrest control
from the Democratic and Republican
parties.
There was a similarity of methods
in organizing the North Dakota Nom
, partisan League in 1915-16, the Min
nesota Farmer-Labor party in 1925,
and the Wisconsin Progressive group
in 1884.
Today there is an agreement of
hopes, but outwardly at least, dis
agreement on tactics
Gov. Phil La Toilette, the Wisconsin
Progressive, call for "realignment of
political parties
Representative Teigan, the Mime
sofa Farmer aborite, declares for an
outright third party; National
Farmer-Labor party he says, is ne
cessity.
Seek New Deal Alliance.
In all the talk of realignment, none
has yet pointed the way to how this
might be accomplished successfully.
Mr.. Teigan and such Progressives as
, Representatives Boileau and Amlie of
Wisconsin, have voiced hope of an al
lance with the ultra liberals of the
Democratic New Deal.
This would exclude the more conser-
vative element of the party and the
question has arisen which would re-
tain the Democratic label. The most
sanguine third party advocates do
not go so far as to predict the con-
servative group would relinquish the
label.
And, while Gov. La Toilette pro-
claims "realignment already has be-
gun in America" adding that "the
development will continue until the
reactionaries are in one camp and
progreSsives in another" he has not
said whether the Midwest liberals,
aided by labor and farm groups, could
hope to control Democratic con-
o oil 1ota
and draft a platform to their own
liking.
So, says Representative johnson,
Farmer-Labor, of Minnesota. those
in the third party movement are
flooking not only to 1910 but through
1910 to 1914"
Democrats Hold Key.
For says Mr.. Johnson, the i'm
mediate future of the third party
hinges on liberal or conservative
control of the Democratic National
Convention in 1910.
If the conservatives win. there will
De an exodus from the Democratic
party by those who will be looking
for liberal and progressive stand
ard bearer" he said, adding, how
ever, such wing of the Democratic
party probably would crystalline
> sentiment behind presidential candi-
date of its own choosing"
If President Roosevelt's New Deal
supporters control the convention.
Mr.. Johnson said he believed the
liberals, such as the Commonwealth
F'666rofinf1 nf nn Cfofo &c
ton, the American Labor party of
New York and the Farmer-Laborites
and Progressives, would support the
liberal standard bearer of the Demo-
cratic group.
An alternative to the realignment
Is national third party, support for
which, Mr.. Teigan says, is growing
in the midwest and seems to be
the rising hope of saving democracy.
because it will block the advance of
economic slavery and defend the
masses against the attempts of big
business to exploit them through the
use of governmental machinery"
Hope to Win Liberals.
Others, thinking like Mr.. Teigan,
hope to WOO and win the ultra liberals |
of the New Deal and the Republican |
party to an outright third party pro-
gram.
Mr.. Teigan says:
"The faithful adherence of Farmer
Labor leaders to the principles of DEM
ocratic government carried on in the
interest of enlightened progressive
ness has earned the overwhelming sup
port of many people who have no in
tention of becoming members of the
party.
IF we can now build a national |
Farmer-Labor movement while there
is yet time, perhaps the people and
their liberties may be saved"
Neither Farmer-Laborite nor Pro-
gressive has publicly alluded to the |
third party attempt in 1886. The
National party, headed by Represen-
tative William Lemke, a North Da- |
kota Republican, as presidential can
didate, failed.
The national third party couldn't |
get on the ballot in number of |
States. These election laws have not |
been changed.
Representative johnson contends.
however, there are enough States in
which q national third party could |
get on the ballot. He cites California, |
Oregon, Washington. New York, Mimi
esota, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, North |
Dakota, Iowa, adding it could get !
on the ballot in Ohio and maybe |
Michigan"
Close Contest Dangerous.
But, failing a sweeping victory, Mr.
johnson said a close contest among |
three parties would be dangerous"
for national third party movement. |
Failure of any one party to win
sufficient electoral votes for election |