The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1911-11-23
MUST MAKE GOOD
1By John G. Kennedy.l

erousht new hope, new inSpira ton
and new opportunities TO the whole
labor movement But these Victories
nave also brought new RESPONSE bill
tles-responsibiliti which cannot
pe shlrked II We are to hold ou;.
ground and to advance forward to
greater victories in the future.
1t is true, of course, that even
We have complete control of a city
We cannot establish little co-opera-
tive commonwealth or run the in
dustries of that city according to So
clallst principles. But even though
We are limited in our activities by
the organization of industry on a ma
tlonal and international basis; even
though we are bound by constitution
| al restrictions and reactionary iu-
dietary; even though We are restrict
ed by narrow and antiquated char
ters-yet there is much that we can
accomplish.
The people who have elected So
cailists to Office have a right to ex-
pect that they will make good
in at least three important partic-
ulars- First, that they Will be alb
solutely honest and straightforward
In the performance of their public
duties; secondly. that they will do
their work efficiently; and thirdly
, that they will do everything in their
power to promote the welfare of the
people, particularly the working pco-
pie.
Any representative who fails in
any of these particulars fails noc
only as a public official, but as a rep
resentative Of the working class TO
some of the corporations and capt.
tal1sts the corrupt official is a posi-
1--WE asSet-almost necessity. He
gives them power to exploit the peo-
pie and he protects them in their
ROBBERY But for the working class
the corrupt official is the most dan.
serous menace The socialist pro-
gram requires that the functions of
the city, state and national govern
ments should be greatly enlarged.
This can be done with safety and
benefit to the community on the con-
d1t1on that our public officials do
their work honestly and efficiently.
therefore among socialists there can
be no compromise with corruption
or graft in any form. We must
wage war relentlessly on graft and
SraleerS wherever we find them
1t is not enough, however, that
Socialist officials should be merely
health. and honest superintendent of
education. or an honest city engi-
neer might have the best of inten-
tons, and yet be complete failure
as a public official. Or representa-
ti"es must not only be good; they
must be good for something. We
socialists have always claimed that
the city government. could run the
street car system just as we'll, il
not better, than a private company;
that municipal bakery could be run
Just as efficiently as a private ball-
ery-and that such industries would
then be run for the public welfare
instead of for private profit This is
absolutely true, but it is true ONLY
on the condition that our city gov
eminent is operated by efficient, we'll
trained workers. Therefore we So
clallStS must insist on efficiency
wherever possible we must utilize
experts. and in all cases we must in
slst that our representatives should
be well informed and abreast of the
TIMES. Hence, one of the most i'm
portant acts of the Socialist admins
trauon of Milwaukee was the esta b.
lishment Of the municipal public eff
hc1ency commissioner under the di-
rectlon of Prof. John Commons of
the University of Wisconsin.
Rut honesty and efficiency alone
are not enough. We might have an
honest, and, as far as it went eff :
Gent government which practically
ignored the most important prob
lens OF the workers. The first and
most important duty of every repre-
sentative of the Socialist Party is to
use all the powers of his office to
secure better working and living
conditions for the Working class.
Whether it be by securing new leg
islation, or by better enforcement
or old legislation (Which sometimes
is quite as importantly we must con-
stantly hammer away at the prob-
lens which most vitally concern
the workers. And not only must we
hammer away at these problems, but
II we are to get results, we must
DO SO intelliSently. We must not
only expose the evils of capitalism.
out we must put forward posi-
tive scientific program for the
NATURALIZATION of local industries
for the solution of the housing prob
lem, for the protection of the peo-
Pies health, for the provision of
parks. social centers, etc, for a bet
ter educational system for the work
ers, and other measures in the in
terest of the working class In other
words, we must make good today
alons positive, constructive lines for