New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1918-08-28
LABoR's OPPORTUNITY IN
.. rs POLITICS

T. Organized LABOR s demand 1OT greater
recognition in the affairs of Government
and particularly in the prosecutions q
the war and the conclusion OF. peace, has
become so insistent as to create uneasi.
ness in the minds of those who have
hitherto directed politics. The coah.
ton government of Great Britain and
the official recognition Of organized labor
in this, country are unmistakable steps
towards new order. They have raised
labor to the dignity Of an individual
factor in national life corresponding to
that of the bankers, manufacturers,
merchants, and other units whose right
to direct political affairs has been rec
ognized. But at present labor holds
this position by suherance, and may be
dislodged by the next turn OF the poll
tical wheel. Nor can it aspire to per-
manent influence in it's own right until
it takes the same intelligent interest in
politics that is taken by the various other
divisions of society. - "a
The present Congress, representing
a country in which laborers and farm
ers constitute an overwhelming majority
of the population, has,, according to an
analysis of the National Voters League,
6 farmers and wage earners among
the 435 members of the House. The
Senate has farmers and no laborers
among it's SO members. Lawyers pre-
dominate in both branches, with bust
ness men next in number. Of the 435
members of the House, 306 are lawyers
and 80 are business men. There are rs
newspaper men, farmers, 4 laborers,
5 statesmen and clerks, 2 preachers, 3
educators, 2 physicians, and I social
worker. The latter is Jeanette Rankin,
the only woman member. Among the
90 Senators there are rs lawyers IL
business men, 2 newspaper publishers,
farmers, and physicians. ~ to a,.:>s<
=, This analysis indicates one Of tWQ
things either the vast number OF lab
orers and farmers thruout the country
, are satisfied to have their laws made by
lawyers and business men, or they are
too Indifferent to practical politics to
elect their own representatives. Each
laborer and each farmer has exactly
the same voting power as the greatest
LAWYER and the richest merchant, and
hence has no right to complain OF unjust
legislation at the hands of lawyers and
business men. If they will not take
an intelligent interest in the selection
of candidates for office, and put forth
the necessary effort to elect them they
will have to be content with the result
of their negligence. That they are not
content and that they are coming to
recognize, their remissness is evident from
the work of the Non-Partisan League
among the farmers, and the greater
political activity manifested by the more
aggressive labor leaders. They are en-
couraged in this by what was accom-
plished in building up the Socialist party
in Germany before the war, and by
the present position of the Labor party
in England. j g
Organized labor must enlarge its
membership to include the brain workers
and put forth a comprehensive program
based upon fundamental economic prln,-
| ciples that appeal to the moral sense
of mankind, or it must be content to
ACCEPT the crumbs that fall to its share.
ANY class movement that embraces less
than the whole useful citizenship Of the
country is doomed to ultimate failure
Humanity is the word. And it never
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES