The colored American., 1902-06-28
THE BALANCE OF POWER.
How 20 Make q Small Reform
Vote Effective-Philosophy ef
Compact SANITATION Voiced
by Knights Of Labor.


The Knights OF Labor believe in US
ing the right of suffrage to make I'M
| DrOvements in our social condition
In theory this is the aim of all sssscis-
tions and parties which deal in poli.
tics But there are SO many diverse
notions OF what 1s improvement that
large political party is necessarily 8
hodge podge, with very few general
characteristics; and in each p lite 81
party are to be found many persons
who sympsthizs with any broad move
ment, such as the labor movement. In
order to please these various elements
of its makeup, par y has to do vsri-
Gus things outside of the few general
POLICIES which are approved by all its
party any particular element is, thu
more the party will do for it.
| 1t follows then that to get what We
want from any party In power. we
must render strong that elf ment in the
marty which is in sympathy with us.
Sometimes one party is IN power, some
times another. We can strengthen OuI
friends in both great parties ct once.
without joining either one OF them out
right 1t is possible to make not only
IPOpuIlsts, but Repnblicans and Demo-
crsts pretty fair Knights OF Labor ar
regards their official actions. And WI
can compel both parties to put up this
kind OF men for Office right sIODg
How can this be done? By >srming
an organization to hold the balance
of power, and showing who it is that
, holds this balance. This may be &C.
complished by casting our votes 90 as
10 elect half the candidates of ca b
pLrty, and defeat the other half.
This proposition appli-s oily to
states and cities that are more or less
close. In such places, wait until the
old parties have put up their tickets,
and then nominate new Ill kef, COM
uOsed of selectiOns from the legula.
tickets. Take half Of the Republican
ticket and half of the Democratic tick
ct. From each, take first those who are
most satisfactory, and then tbose who
sre least Objectionable. Then the DIFF
ference between the endorsed candl-
dates aud those not endorsed will show
the reform strength. Then IN the party
nominating conventions men, who are
likely to win the endorsement Of the
balancing party will be regarded a.
strong candidates, aud such Wlll bf
cOnstan ly comm G fOIwsId.
There are many advantages about
this policy. Cne is that 1t Will COM
mand the respectful attention Of the
voters In general. Men listen to those
who are working with them, and un-
der this plan the refolmers would be
working with both parties They
could not be laughed to scorn for up
holding candidates who stand no show
of election; on the contrary it would be
pretty plain that their candidates
would be the successful ones, and made
so by the balancing party. Neither
could they be laughed at for advocating
ridiculous doctrines, becauEe 1t would
appear that they found countepance
for these doctrines in the candidates
whom everyone is voting for. And
fGrthermore, after the election, ii
would appear that the men stlscted by
their lloW-citilens for official positions
bave been go selected on account OF
their leaning towards these 10 longer
despised reform theories The longer
the process goes on, from yesr to year,
the more it will both look this way and
aciuslIy be this way. Then sgsin, the
newspapers will have TO treat the re
form element mole respectfully, and
make more mention of what it stands
for. We see an example of this in the
way the Democratic press Throughout
the country has given utt terance 10
what was formerly regarded d As Popu-
IisItic nonsense, simply because the
Populists were supporting Democratic
candidates, and the Democratic cOndi-
dates were Populistic in their tende1-
cies.
This last is q good resso for Knights