The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-11-03
CRUMPACKER AGAINST
RIGHT TO INSTRUCT
Republican Candidate for Con-
gress in Indiana Takes
Strong Position.
Says Present System of Law Max
ing is All Right-No Change
Is Required.

Is Required.
Where the people Of a country are
the ruling power they must employ
representatives who are subject to
instructions, Of course; otherwise few
men elected to office would be their
rulers. The people would be their
subjects.
This unquestionable fact the Reoub-
ltcan nominees for congress would
have us overlook. Thew have various
ways of concealing this main point.
For. example, Mr.. Crumpa :H'er Of In
diana, a prominent Republican, who
is chairman Of the Committee on Gen.
sus, replying to the questions to cam
didates is reported to have said:
1.-THE federal constitution vests all
legislative powers exclusively in the
congress. The policy confirmed IN
your first proposition Involves a rad
1cal change Of our system Of govern
ment."
These are fundamental statements.
The first is not true. while the second
is. Let us first consider the state
ment that the establishment of 81 sys-
and therefore rule. will be a radical
change In our system Of government.
Mr.. Crumpacker's claim is that this
system, whereby the trusts are in pow
err, is provided for in the federal con-
stitution.
The Machine Rule System Of Govern
ment.
Not so, for the central body which
| determines who shall rule within the
party organization in this country is
the National Convention. This nation
| al body is nowhere mentioned in the
federal constitution. which demon-
| strates that it Is outside the written
constitution, and it completely upsets
the system Of government provided
! for in the constitution. Instead Of
laws selected by a legislative body
composed Of the Senate and the House
and the President. with the members
| OF each selected In the manner speci-
fled, there is the national convention,
constituted In accordance with the
dictates Of the party machine. All
that the voters can do is to choose
which Of the machines shall rule. 1t is
Machine Rule. Such, in short, is The
System.
1t Is clear that to establish system
whereby the voters can instruct their
representatives will be radical
change in the United States govern
ment." The trusts don't want it. for
it would put them out Of power. Cor
poration rule would cease. Money
would not longer control. Most of the
Republican nominees for congress
} stand up with the corporations. The
Democratic nominees do not.
| Mr.. Crumpacker infers that the ex-
!, listing system Of government is the
one created by the constitution, which
is manifestly untrue. The existing
system Is the Convention System, as
has been shown. It was established
, about eighty years ago. All this is
/ unquestionably true.
: Brice's Description.
Our system Of government is criti-
cised by all who speak plainly. For
example, Hon. James Brice. member
> Of the British Parliament, in his noted
5 book. the American Commonwealth,
! describes our national convention. He
t says:
AN European is astonished to see
: nine hundred men prepare to transact
the two most difficult pieces Of bus
mess an assembly can undertake, the
solemn consideration Of their princi-
e pies, and the selection Of the person
Y they wish to place at the head of the
u nation, in the sight and hearing OF
twelve thousand other men and WON
t | en-"
e Mr.. Brice further says:
"Such a meeting Is capable neither
+ Of discussing political questions and
settling a political programme, nor OF
deliberately weighing the merits OF
: rival aspirants for the nomination. Its
platform must be presented to it cut
and dry, it must follow a few leaders,
In no other modern assemblies dc
these conditions concur. Modern de-
8 Lucrative assemblies are comparative
ly small-the House Of Representa-
tives has only 1856 members; the
French Cabinet 584; while in the Brit
ish House Of Commons there is sitting
space for only AGO."
Here we have comparison Of the
American system Of government with
that Of the British, French and with
$ the House of Representatives as con-
structed by the constitution. 1t IS thi
: national convention system that is the
existing system of government. It i
true that to re-establish in the people
a power to instruct representatives
I will involve "a radical change in our
I system Of government"