United labor bulletin., 1910-03-04
AMERICAN FEDERATION AND PEOPLES RULE
Legislation


in building up powerful organization
for the protection of all the people
against corporate greed and bad political
influences.
1t is the disunion, the division. the
working at cross-purposes. furthered by
the interests, that binders the advance
ment of the working people in the city
of Denver. We must be welded into a
perfect unity for grand, noble. supreme
effort that will give us direct legisla-
ton, and with it the emancipation OF the
workers from wage slavery. Let us be-
ware of the elements of rule or ruin
Abraham Lincoln believed in the peo-
pies rule. Lincoln's most earnest desire
was that government of the people. by
the people, and for the people shall not
perish from the earth
This is exactly the sort of government
we are proposing for the city and county
of Denver through the instruments of
Direct Legislation. the Initiative, Refer
endum and the Recall.
The extension of the Initiative and
Referendum to practically the whole
range of municipal and county business
will place the ultimate power at all times
in the people, and that will make 1t safe
to leave public business to limited bodies
of experts, who will be held true to the
public interest by the power of the pop
ular veto and revision.
The program to restore the peoples
rule has actually become the paramount
issue of our political life today. 1t man
TESTS itself in all the important ques-
lions now under discussion and demands
immediate consideration by all political
parties. Some years back the uonpartisan
forces have raised the issue by ques-
tioning candidates for political Offices.
and subsequent events. including the peo-
pies rule program of the various non
partisan organizations, have resulted in
the existing situation. The oyershadow-
ing issue is restore the peoples rule and
vigorously use it!
This was evidenced by the Nebraska
Democratic platform of 1908, which in a
most hypocritical manner tried to catch
the labor votes with the following plank:
I'VE rejoice at the increasing signs of
an awakening in the United States. The
various Investigations have traced graft
and political corruption to the representa-
tives of predatory wealth and laid bare
the INSCRIPTIONS methods by which they
have debouched elections and prayed
upon defenseless public through the
subservient officials whom they have
raised to place and power" Then 1t con-
tinues: 1.-THE conscience of the nation
is now aroused and will, II honestly ap-
pealed to, free the government from the
grip of those who have made 1t bust.
ness asset of the favor-seeking corpora
tions; it must become again "a govern
ment of the people. by the people, and
for the people," and be administered in
all departments according to the Jeffer
sonian maxim, equal rights to all and
special privileges to none"
And the fact is that the Democrats
themselves with this platform for "the
peoples rights" are overwhelmingly
among those of the special privilege
seekers, those of predatory wealth, and
are those who have deserted their own
party. pledges made to the people be-
fore being elected to office.
The workingmen of this city cannot
and must not look for any good to come
from any of the old political parties;
they must concentrate their efforts and
stand firmly for the independent use of
the ballot. Trade unionsts should fol-
low strictly the principles of the above
resolution of the A. f. of L.. and act in
accordance with the resolution passed