New Ulm review., 1919-12-17
THE LABOR PARTIES.
Bv WALTER THOMAS MILLS, M. "A
I Author of Democracy or Despotism
CArticle Number VII.
WHAT OF THE FUTURE FOR
LABOR PARTIES.

Note: This is one of series Of seven
articles on the Labor parties. The series
covers ",The Occasion for Their Exist
.sence,'' Methods Of Organization" "
Campaign Methods = Selection Of
Candidates, :. Carrying on the Govern
n.ent, . "Their Achievements When in
Office and What Of the Future for
Labor Parties" The illustrations are
taken from many places where organi-
s.zations OF labor have entered the field
of politics. This article completes the
series. Editor
William Allen White declares that
the old order of economics, OF politics
and Of commerce has passed away.
He affirms that everybody in Europe
knows it and intimates that the people
of this country viii lot be able to deal
with the real situation until they, too,
have discovered it. He. further claims
that in Europa the conservative force
is made up of Socialists. that the danger
-ously aggressive forces are the Boil
sheyiki and their initators in other
countries In other words, he more
than intimates thai the only parties
of the future will be Labor parties and
that the political conflicts for the future
in Europe will be between parties, both
of which will represent labor, neither Of
which will be bound by the traditions
eof the past or subject to the powers OF
the great private interests.
A Burial and A New Birth.
What ever may be true OF Europe,
and however blind America may be
to what has happened over there, every
hour that passes is making every
thoughtful American aware Of what is
happening in the United States. The
$4,000 millionaires shown by the. irl-
come tax returns to have been made
in this country since the declaration OF
war on Germany, with the cost OF living
mounting up, and in spite OF increasing
wages and increasing prices for farmers
products, the effective income; that is,
what laborers and farmers are able to
buy with the prices received by them,
has been all of the time going down:
Wages have increased, the prices Of farm
products have increased, but the prices
paid, both by wage-workers and by far
mers for what they get out Of the market
have increased so much more rapidly
that with their larger incomes, they
are able. TO buy less stuff.
An Impossible Situation.
= The lot Of labor has become unen
j, durable. The situation of the farmer
has become one Of inneasurabie haz.
ard, of uncertainty in every thing ex-
scept that in the end OF every deal he
finally gets the bad end Of the bargain
Organizations Of labor have never
grown so rapidly. The appearance a11c
rapid growth OF the Nonpartisan league
the combination Of this farmers organi-
zation with the trade unions in every
state where it has made its appearance
their ability to agree upon a comm on
program and to fight intellgently, not
for the purpose Of Furnishing enemies,
not for the purpose Of imprisonlng or
humiiating profteers, not for the. pUr=
pose. of taking vengeance on those who
have wronged them, b .t=for the purpose
of doing certain things which they are
convinced, and which they are ableztc
eohvice others, would remedy the wrongs
inflicted upon the many by the power
Eof the few all these proclaim the birth
tf a new era in the United States.