Evening star., 1938-04-30
The Third Party.

SINK or SWIM, the newly launched
political party which is styled the
National Progressives of America has
re-enunciated several fundamental
Americanisms. 1t has rejected some of
the most unsound principles of the
Roosevelt New Deal. 1t has turned its
back fatty on the idea that the Ameri-
can farmers and American working men
can prosper through producing less for
higher prices. 1t has thrown a harpoon
into the New Deal coddling of the
American people-which has gone far
to undermine the faith of the citizens
in themselves. 1t has denounced the
New Deal proposals for control of the
activities of the American people and of
American business.
This new National Progressive party
Is saying to the people that it is posi-
BILE to be progressive without being pa
ternalistic, without having the Govern
ment step in and say when the people
shall breathe and how. 1t is promising
to the people protection from abuse by
nonopolies, but at the same time it does
not intend to regulate business to death.
1t does not intend to have Government
compete with private business.
So far, so good. While declaring for
the basic concepts of American Govern
ment, the platform of the new party
declares that it is necessary Ito grant
the executive branch power to get things
DONE to get to work on the problems of
agriculture, business and industry"
That is just what the New Dealers have
demanded and in large part it is what
they have obtained-certainly to de-
gree far greater than ever before in the
history Of the American people. The
new platform asserts this can be done
with ample guarantees against arbitrary
or dictatorial abuse of power" To this
it may be replied that so far it never has
been done without abuse of power and
in all probability it never will.
The first plank in the Progressive
platform deals with money and credit.
1.-The ownership and control of money
and credit, without qualification or res
ervation, must be under public, not pri-
vate, CONTROL" it says. When political
government says when and what man
shall borrow, that political government
will dominate absolutely. 1t will be in a
position to ruin any one who opposes
that particular administration of gov
ernment. It will be operating a credit
system not for profit in dollars, but for
political gain. Political parties feed
upon power and so perpetuate them
selves.
There is the danger that the Ameri-
can people may jump from the frying
pan of the Roosevelt New Deal into the
fire. And yet, the Progressive platform
has strong appeal, as for example,
when 1t says: 1--WE shall use the power
of these United States to restore to
every American the opportunity to help
himself. After that he can sink or
swim" Ruggedness may after all turn
out to be a virtue.
The La Toilette brothers, Governor
phil and Senator Bob" have taken
time by the forelock. They are not wait
ing until national election year to start
the organization of a new Progressive
party. Such a task requires time.
Their father the late Senator Rob-
ert M. La Toilette, learned his lesson in
1924, when he headed National Pro-
gressive party which was not launched
until after the Democratic National
Convention and the nomination of John
w. Davis. How far the La Follettes will
get with their new party is only a guess
today. They appear, however, to have
seized psychological occasion, when the
Roosevelt New Deal has been discovered
to have been failure.