Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1919-12-03


TIE L.ABl|OR PAR!!I lies
~ Waltsr Thomas NILS. r. a, Author
Of Democracy or uespotdsn.
(Note: This is one Of series OF seven
historical articles on the Labor parties.)
sI-oARHxua oHsrHz aovB1nsilzz II.
with ., Labor party once triumphant,
or once largely represented IN the law
making department Of the government,
st finds itself placed In position OF
grave responsible s . 81 &: s.7 s. ~
~ 1Ea1ing Good. - B
Before this It had contended for. gen
.eral proposals, now it must write these
proposals into definite laws. Laws
must fulfill the campaign promises; that
IS, they must actually. produce the re-
suits for which their supporters will
have voted. These laws must fit into
other laws already in operation, or they
must provide for the repeal Of such
previous laws as are in conflict with the
new program. 49,. -. :, =, : u H. !
L These laws must be constitutional.
i they are not drawn in the form re-
quired, and7if the provisions of the laws
are not found, to be in harmony with
constitutional provisions, then the
courts will set aside the labors of the
legislature and the seeming victory will
have been in vain. These laws must
be made brief. They must avoid need
less technicalities and should be writ
ten so plainly that an ordinary citizen
will be able to understand them, as the
only guarantee that the courts will not
| be able to misunderstood them. "
- Wide information.
AS the legislation required by the
demands of labor necessarily deals with
the gravest Industrial and commercial
problems, wide information becomes i'm
| mediately necessary, if the constructive
work is to be wise and sane, and having
been once put on the statutes will be
| found possible actually to build them
| into the institutions and usages Of the
country. 1t will be found impossible
| for a. Labor party to assume this re-
| sponsibility and effectively do this work
| unless it comes to it's tasks with reali-
| zation of it's Importance and with special
preparation for the. work.
+ Organizing the Work.
In the British parliament every mem
Der representing the Labor party is i'm
| mediately assigned, on his election, to
| a position in some one of the various
and numerous committees. He is fur
nished with the literature bearing on
his work. He is provided with guidance
in searching the libraries and in every
way offered opportunities to become
| thoroughly informed on the particular
| topics which must be dealt with by the
| committee of which he is member.
orr11 ho a.
| problem of serious Importance to the
British empire to which some Labor
| party member of parliament has not
given long and careful study. The com
| mittees subdivide their work and each
person undertakes to keep personally
in touch with the persons, the organiza.
| tons and the interests involved, anC
| to have up-to-date information as tc
| the wrongs which should be righted and
as to the means by which this should
be. accomplished.
An American Beginning.
In many of our states special legis.
| lative research departments have beer
organized and equipped for the express
| purpose of gathering from the ends OF
| the earth current information for the
use of the legislators.
Sticking Together.
| Everywhere where labor has become
| a factor in the public life of any coun
| try, the parliamentary caucus has come
| Immediately into existence, and as il
| proceeds in it's work becomes a most
| remarkable and~a most effective educa
tional as we'll as constructive agency.
In most countries each Labor candi
date elected to such legislative body
has become candidate by entering int
an agreement that on his election h.
| hao0ma a Of
Gus and in all matters pertaining to thu
| pledges made by his party in it's plat
form utterances to be guided in his fina
ballot in the enactment of laws by tn,
majority vote Of his party caucus. II
! all other matters to which the organi
cation is not so pledged, it's member
are accorded the fullest liberty of in
dividual judgment and action. AS t.
whether any particular measure is
party measure calling for unity of &C
ton, that, too, is left to the majorit,
tence of this caucus.
Probably no institution of the Labo
parties, certainly nothing in connection
with the work of the Nonpartisan leagu
of the North Dakota farmers, has bee
more vigorously assailed than the exis
lance of this caucus.
The caucus appoints it's committees
The caucus authorizes the drafting o
its bills. The caucus acts upon the re
ports of it's committees on the legisla
ton proposed. It's measures are discus
sed, referred, rereferred, rewritten, re
vised, by order of the caucus, agai
and again, until beaten into final shape
When the majority of the caucus ha
decided that any particular measur,
in the form which it finally takes as tn
result of such a proceeding, is essen
tial to the carrying out of the program
for the sake of which the organizatio
itself was brought into existence the
the Labor members, or in North Dakot
the League members, go in a body t
| the legislative hall and vote as a uni
for the measure so agreed upon.
Why the Attack
The complaint against such a pro
gram always comes from the peop]
who are opposed to the measures to h
adopted, and who seek by an attack O
] the caucus to discredit the measure
--------------------