The independent., 1903-04-30
QUESTIONING CANDIDATES

QUIOIlUNlHu UHNUiUHlLO
A Settled Policy Majority Rule Program
for This Year and Next-0ther Is
sues Provided for
Experience of the past year demon
strates the great value of questioning
candidates. In California organized
labor and the direct legislation league
questioned candidates and reversed
the action of the republican state con-
yention, and the necessary two-thirds
vote for the submission of consti-
tutional amendment for the referen-
dunn and initiative would have been
secured had it not been that half the
senators held over. In Missouri, too,
the action of the republ an state con-
vention was reversed, but as the dem
ocratic party declared in it's platform
for the submission of a constitutional
amendment for majority rule the
hold-over senators, being largely
democratic, were brought into line.
The absence, however, of specific de-
tail in the democratic platform left
the hold-over senator's and those un-
pledged to organized labor free to in
sist on conditions that will almost
nullify the system. The only portion
of much use is the direct initiative
as to the constitution itself In Mon
tana the action of both the democratic
and republican state conventions was
reversed. r.
The foregoing demonstrates the val
lie of questioning candidates. The Or
ganizations that do not make nomi-
nations can easily determine the is
sues. This is the vital function. No
candidate dares openly oppose major
ity rule or many other issues that
have been kept in the background
through the monopolists' control of
the two leading parties, Third party
politics have been used with almost
no immediate success, while the open
sesame-the questioning of candidates
was within reach and untouched.
The anti-saloon league was among
the first in this country to discover
the secret, and it's remarkable line OF
successes is tribute to the effective
ness of the plan and the capabilities
Of the managers. At the annual meet
ing of the Missouri state federation
of labor, January, 1902, Mr. Isaac Tay-
lor, of Kansas City, introduced a res
olution for joint committee on di-
rect legislation, "the purpose of which
shall be to interrogate all candidates
for legislative positions upon the sub
ject of direct legislation, and to Sc
cure the pledges of candidates on this
proposition, and such other legisla-
tion as Is demanded by the Missouri
state federation of labor, and to make
public such information, to the end
that the next general assembly may
be composed of men who may justly
conform to the wishes of the toilers
in securing equal rights for all an,
special privileges for nome"
This program was adopted year
ago last January. The writer, when
the system came to his notice, real
lied something of it's value and
through the national federation for
majority rule began sending to state
federations of labor copies of the Mis-
souri, resolution, with changes suited
to the conditions.
During the early summer of last
year, we learned that the Washing.
ton state federation of labor was
planning to question candidates, but
I have never been able to get a reply
from inquiries. However, at the an
nual convention of the American fed
Grafton of labor last November, rep
resentatives from the Washington fed
Grafton introduced resolution for a
national system. 1t includes question
ing candidates and bringing before
the county conventions the demands
Of organized labor. This resolution,