The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-08-25
. Clapper
Political Conventions
Revolving. Yet Accepted
Democracy Has Various
Ways of Expression
There are Gains in Keep
ing Up Forms Of Politics
By RAYMOND CLaPPER

ing UP rorIns o' o"iies
BY RAYMOND CLAPPER
NEW YORK - II wasn't
bad thing TO knock off from
covering Washington and get
into political reporting for a
few days this week.
You say this is no time for
politics. That's the way felt
when walked into the Demo-
cratic state convention in Brook
lvn. Several thousand people
pulling at each other in that
convention hall didn't make
much sense 10 me.
II was revolving at first to
see men and women - on the
dav that Allied troops were be-
ing cut TO pieces making land
ing in France-nfarching around
the convention hall yelling for
Bennett of Mead. The whole
scene seemed homogeneous. so
out of place in time like this,
such a waste of energy over af-
fairs that are trivial by COMPARE
son with the job the nation 10
engaged in now, that I was
about to write something along
that line.
But I am glad I didn't. II was
a ridiculous performance in one
way-iust as all political con-
ventions make an absurd circus
out of the process of self-gov-
eminent. Yet We always do it
that way in America. And hav-
ing always done it that way per-
haps there was some point in
going through the usual routine
again at this particular time.
We can't have politics as usual
now any more than we can have
anything as usual. But I'm not
so sure the country would bene-
fit by suspending this sort of
thing. We shall lose a lot of
things before this war is over.
We are losing them of necessity
now. But one thing we must
cling to as the key To restora-
ton of other things that are be-
ing suspended now - that is
the habit of elf-government.
We cannot exercise self-gov-
eminent as freely as in normal
times. We must accept many
restrictions that we do not like
because the government at
Washington considers them
necessary. 1t cannot be any
other way If we are to win the
war. A politician who tries to
get elected by slyly leading his
constituents to think he will
help them escape from the hard
denials of wartime is a dishonest
politician who is doing harm to
the country.
But there is something to be
gained by continuing the forms
of self-government, even though
good deal of the substance
has had to be taken out of ii
for the time being. In this
Democratic state convention
here. the delegates exercised
their right Of self-government to
a high degree. They nominated
their candidate for governor in
move which went against the
president and his political assoc
cistes. They did IT knowing
that their names would go on the
list that could be used for
future reprisals. Nothing much
was involved as between the two
candidates themselves. Both
Bennett and Mead are ordinary
average public men. One would
make about as good a governor
as the other. Yet a majority
Of the delegates had given their
pledge to vote for Bennett.
They carried out those pledges
even though it meant defying
President Roosevelt.
The nomination of Bennett in
stead of Mead won't have any
great effect on the course of
history. But the fact that
American citizens are still able
TO carry through the forms Of
independent political action may
mean a great deal. II this war
runs for several years, as 1t is
very likely to do, all of US will
find our lives and freedom OF
action increasingly circumscrib-
co. Before long a man propdpiy
Will work at the job the govern
ment orders. not at a job of his
own choosing.
The government is drafting
human lives TO win this war and
il will draft anything else u
needs 70 win this war, as Il
should. We can endure that
without qualms about the future
OF self-government II at the
same time we are able TO pre-
serve the institutions Of local
self-government out OF which
our free way Of life grew. Be-
cause out Of that can come, al
the appropriate time, the restor-
alton Of self-government on the
larger scale
So perhaps this sweating.
noisy. believing convention. with
its ridiculous placards and its
dreary, meaningless orstory,