New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1919-12-03

Article Number v.
CARRYING On The GOVERNMENT
Note. This is one Of a series of sever
articles on the Labor parties. The series
covers "The Occasion fer Their Exist
ence,'' Methods Of Organization,
Campaign Methods Selection 0
Candidates" Carrying on the Govern
ment,' "Their Achievement When il
Office" and What Of the Future fol
Labor PARTIES" The illustrations vii
be taken from many places where organi
cations Of labor have entered the field o
politics.-Edttor.
With Labor party once trium
plant, or once largely represented II
the law-making department Of the
government, it finds itself placed in 8
position of grave responsibility.
MAKING GOOD.
Before this it had contended fol
general proposals, now it must write
these proposals into definite laws. These
laws must fulfill the campaign promises;
that is, they must actually produce the
results 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 pre-
vious laws as are in conflict with the
new program. ~
These laws, must be constitutional.
If they are not drawn in the form re-
quired, and if 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 mist be
made brief. They must avoid needless
technicalities and should be written 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 INF ORMATION.
AS the legislation required by the
demands Of labor necessarily deals
with the gravest industrial and COM
mercial problems, wide information be-
comes Immediately necessary, if the con
structive work is to be wise and sane,
and ha&ing 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 impossi-
BILE for a Labor party to assume this
responsibility and effectively do this
work, unless it comes to it's tasks with
a realization CT its 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.
1t would be hard to find single
problem Of serious Importance to the
British empire to which some Labor
party member Of parliament has not
given long and careful study The
committees subdivide their work and
each person undertakes to keep per-
sonally in touch with the persons, the
organizations and the interests involv-
ed, and to have up-to-date information
as to 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 been
organized and equipped for the express
purpose Of gathering from the ends 5o1
the earth current information for the
use of the legislators
STICKING TOGETHER.
Everywhere, where labor has be
come factor in the public life Of any
country, the parliamentary caucus has
come Immediately into existence, ant
as it proceeds in its work becomes a mos
remarkable and a most effective educa
tional as well as constructive agency.
In most countries each Labor can
didate elected to such Legislative
body has become candidate by enter
ing into an agreement that on his cleo
tion he would become member o
such caucus and in all matters per
tanning to the pledges made by hi.
party in its platform utterances to b
guided in his final ballot in the enact
ment of laws by the majority vote q
his party caucus In all other matter.
to which the organization is not s.
pledged, its members are accorded
tho fullest liharty IF i,,Iix,i;1,1ok ind a.