The Third Party
Performed by Woodrow Wilson
Recorded September 24, 1912
There is a new party, which
it is difficult to characterize because it is made
up of several elements. As I see it, it is made up
three elements in particular. The first consists of
those Republicans whose consciences and whose stomachs
could not stand what the regular Republicans were
doing. Added to this element are a great many men
and women of noble character and of elevated purpose
who believe that this combination of forces may, in
the future, bring them out on a plane where they can
accomplish those things which their hearts have so
long desired. I have no word of criticism for them.
Then there is a third element in the new party of
which the less said the better. To discuss it would
be interesting, only if I could mention names, and
I have forbidden myself that indulgence. We have in
this party two things. A political party and a body
of social reformers. Mr. Roosevelt puts forth an admirable
platform of what he would like to do for the people.
But how is he going to do it? He proposes in his platform
not to abolish monopoly, but to take it under the
legal protection of the government and to regulate
it. In other words, to take the very men into partnership
who have been making it impossible to carry out these
great programs by which all of us wish to help the
people. It is perfectly idle to talk of doing things
when your hands are tied for you, so long as the men
who now control the industry of the country continue
to control it. Now we don’t want to disturb the
industry of the country; we are not here to destroy
the industry which these men have developed. But we
are here to destroy the control over the industry
of other people which these men have established and
which makes it impossible that we should give ourselves
a free hand in the service of the people. There are
two programs. The Democratic program is this –
to see to it that competition is so regulated that
the big fellow cannot put the little fellow out of
business, for he has been putting the little fellow
out of business for the last half generation. The
program of the third party is to take these big fellows
that have been putting the little fellow out of business
and regulate them, saying, "that is all right--you
have put the other fellows out of business--but we
are not going to put the little fellows back where
you destroyed them. We’re going to adopt you
and say run the business of the country, but run it
in the way we tell you to run it." The only thing
you have to choose between therefore is this: Are
you going to have fresh brains injected into the business
of this country and the best men win, or are you going
to make the present combinations permanent.