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Show LIBERALS IN DANGER OF BEING SPLIT AT THIS ELECTION, OWENS SAYS BY. ROBERT Ij. OWEX, . U. S. Senator from Oklnhoma, Author of the Federal Reserve Banking Act and President of the National Popular Popu-lar Government League. The editor of tho Standard-Examiner invites mo to give my Impressions of the political situation just after a western trip, which has taken me to the states of California, Utah, Idaho, Colorado. Nebraska, Alabama and Tennessee This opportunity, which has brought me in conact with many peoplo of many minds, has served to confirm my previous opinion that three-fourths of the citizens of tho country favor progressive pro-gressive policies and want progress vo things done. It is perfectly evident, however, that by political manipulation strenuous active minorities will exerclso an influence in-fluence vastly greater than their numbers num-bers Justify. It is an ancient policy of military and political strategy for a highly organized minority to conquer a majority by dividing It and tho progressive pro-gressive liberal elements of America aro In great danger of being divided and overcome in the campaign of 1920. Tho liberal spirit of America is not of recent origin. In 1912 over -1,000,-000 voters followed Thoodoro Roosevelt, Roose-velt, 3,000,000 voted for Taft and 6,000,000 for President Wilson. A largo part of those supporting Roosevelt believod In tho spirit of progresalvo democracy. Of those supporting sup-porting WllBon tho vory largo majority were progressive Democrats. Tho popularity of Itlram Johnson Is due to his vigorous progessivism, which carries him forward, despite his hostilo attltudo to tho covenant of tho league pf nations, which has relevantly relevant-ly weakened him. Johnson will assuredly be defeated by the conservative elements In the Republican party, who will line up Behind Be-hind a candidato of tho safest and sanest sort, who, like Mr. Taft, would later present tho Interesting spectacle of "a most excellent gentleman In tho TVhite Houso, surrounded by other excellent ex-cellent gentlemen who know exactly what they want" and, moreover, know how to get It. I have not tho slightest doubt that tho Chicago convention will nominate a gentleman who will be brought forth as tho apostle of patriotic and liberal sentiments, but whose affiliations will cause no alarm in conservative circles' and Justify the deslro that he bo en-1 tlroly "safo and eune" in other words,! that he can be relied upon to appreciate appreci-ate at full value conservative arguments argu-ments at the proper time. Such a nomination will bo made In spite of tho fact that a majority of tho Ropubllcan voters aro at heart liberal, but who place faith In their leaders as a matter of party loyalty or social loy-l alty or social loyalty. I say social loy-j ally because a man who has always voted the Ropubllcan ticket does not like his friends to say or feel that ho has "gone back on them." The. danger In the Democratic party! Is of being unduly Influenced by those i who look too much to political success! j and too little to the true spirit of democracy; de-mocracy; that opportunism may overcome" over-come" tho sense of Justlco and -righteousness in government. Tho Democrats cannot afford to straddle great public questions. They cannot afford to offer the people relief re-lief from monopolies and profiteering and at the same time writo an equivocal equivo-cal platform or nominate a candidate whose previous conduct does not Justify, Jus-tify, and justify completely, the belief that ho will meet tho full responsibilities responsibili-ties which the times demand and the party assumes. One of the greatest weaknesses in democracy Is that a progressive executive exec-utive may mo imposed upon by having hav-ing his appointments engineered in such a way that progressive policies are administered by conservative agents. If tho country gots relief the Democratic party must pursue a progressive pro-gressive policy not only in words and sentiments, but in concrete acts which insure an administration that will, under all circumstances and at all times, mako cfectlve the policies upon which tho national campaign was conducted. con-ducted. When the poople are so distressed by tho high cost of living, It will bo deplorable for that great ls3Uo to bo lost sight of in a dust cloud of furious controversy over tho very refined differences dif-ferences between Republicans and Democrats as to reservations in the covenant of the league of nations. It is my opinion that conservatives of both parties will seek to press the league as a paramount Issue, and thus obscure the great Issue of tho price of food stuffs, clothing, rent, Interest, etc., and a remedy for these conditions. condi-tions. Tho people should treat political parties as agencies through which to accomplish improvements. They should regard parties as belonging to them, and not themselves belonging to parties, in the sonse that parties have any right whatovor to exercise ownership or mastery over thorn. nn |