Milford chronicle., 1938-05-27

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Pals, Dividend Checks and Tax
Bills of Every Individual; National
and international Problems Insep-
arabic from Local Welfare.
The official decision to launch a
third party-called the National Pro-
gressive Party, and headed by Gov
ernor Philip La Toilette of WiscOn-
sin-is of major political Importance.
The chief significance Of the move
lies in its possible effect on the ex-
isting parties, and on future cleo
tions.
The history of third party move
ments in this country has been gem
orally a history of practically COM
plete failure, SO far as the parties
themselves we're concerned. Today
who remembers the Locofocos, the
Free Sellers, the North Americans,
the Blue Light Federalists, the Anti
Masons-all important third party
movements in their time? The last
third party drive that got anywhere
at all was that of 1924, when the
senior La Toilette ran for President
with Senator Wheeler as his team
mate and polled a total of 100000
votes out of 30,0O0,OO0 cast. But the
ticket received the electoral vote of
only one state, Wisconsin.
Occasionally, however, third par
~ bolt has been the decisive factor
in a national election. and has so
made an important contribution TO
the course of government. This was
the case in 1912, when Theodore
Roosevelt, having split with Taft
and the regular Republicans, led the
Bull Moose" revolt. The Rough Rid
er did not get elected. in spite of the
advantage that he had been Presi-
dent. and enjoyed an immense pop
ularity-but he took enough of the
Republican vote to elect Wilson, and
TO leave Taft the worst beaten In
cumbent in American history. And
the wounds that the split caused in
the Republican ranks took a long
time to heal. and are generally be-
Iieved to have been a major factor
in the reelection of Wilson in 1916.
when he beat Hughes by the mar
rowest of margins.
The potential Importance OF the
National Progressive Party thus lies
| nthe possibility that IL may have
some such effect as this on the cur
rent political set-up. And the stage
is certainly set for a political up
heaval, and the realignment OF po-
litical groups.
The party in power. the Democrat
ic, has its most dependable support
in the South. II was this solid South
following which kept It going during
its bad years after the war, when
many commentators forecast its inn
minent demise. But. as everyone
knows. the South is largely cOnser-
vative. The principal Southern SEN
ators-Byrd, Harrison. Glass. Ball
ey, etc.-incline toward the right.
The New Deal on the other hand. Is
Ieftish. Its most consistent congress
sional supporters are Northern DEM
ocrats, from states which in former
times we're often or usually counted
in the Republican ranks-Pennsyl-
vania. New York. the New England
group, the corn-belt. and the far
West. It is the industrial East and
Middle West, rather than the agrar-
ian South. which Is most enthusiast
tic for the Roosevelt policies.
At the same time, there are many
followers of the New Deal, Including
a sizeable bloc in the House, which
believe that the President has not
gone far enough left. These men are
semi-radicals-they do not go as ear I
as do the extreme left-wingers, who
vote for minority tickets such as the
And It Is to this left
group, and to the left sympathizing
who elected them. that ,
Governor La Follette's new party
will offer its principal appeal. Fur |
.hermore, the party starts with one I
state apparently "in the bag"-Wis- I
,onsIn has always supported the La |
Follettes with hardly a deviation,
md there is no Indication that senti- (
nent among Wisconsin voters has
changed.
To sum up. the La Toilette move
nent is for the first time offering
hese semi-radicals a party headed
~ men with national political rep
Itations who will sponsor platforms
hat are largely in accord with left
wing views. At the same time, there
s growing movement on foot for
coalition between Republicans and
orthodox Democrats for the purpose {
# beating the New Deal and to elect,