Page:The North American Review Volume 145.djvu/9

THE NEW PARTY.                3 slavery question in our politics. In farmers' granges and al- liances, and anti-monopoly associations, in trades unions and federations, and notably in the enormous growth of the Knights of Labor, a vague, but giant power has been arising, which could only reach its ends through political action. What has delayed the crystallization of these forces into a political party has been the indefiniteness of thought on such subjects. Discon- tent with existing conditions there has been enough, but when it came to the improvement of these conditions by political action there was no agreement. In short, up to this time, Labor has not gone into politics, because it did not really know what to do in politics. This great vague power has been like a vast body of unorganized men anxious to go somewhere, but uterly ignorant of the road and without leaders whom they have learned to trust. And while one has called "This way!" and another "That way!" and constant efforts have been made by little parties starting out in this or that direction to get the great mass to follow them, the main body has refused to move. The Greenback Labor party was a protest against the wasteful and unjust financial management which has enriched the few at the expense of the many, and it appealed with great strength to the debtor class; but the issue that it tried to raise was not large enough to move the great body. So with the various anti-monop- oly movements, and with the local labor parties which have here and there from time to time carried a municipal or county elec- tion, and sometimes by combining forces with one or the other of the two great parties have carried a State. With all such move- ments the fatal weakness has been that they could formulate no large vital issue on which they could agree. Political parties cannot be manufactured, they must grow. No matter how much the existing political parties may have ceased to represent vital principles and real distinctions, it is not possible for any set of men to collect together incongruous ele- ments of discontent and by compromising differences and pooling demands create a live party. The initiative must be a movement of thought. The formation of a real party follows the progress of an idea. When some fundamental issue, that involves large prin- ciples and includes smaller questions, and that will on the one hand command support and on the other compel opposition, begins to come to the front in thought and discussion, then a new party, or