Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-05-17

er conferences of the national council.
Not all of the members of the congress
who are interested in the organization
will agree with the stand taken on
bill. But those who do can get infor-
nation, statistics and help in collecting
data, so that they will be able to main
i tain their ground. effectively during
floor debates and in committee meet
ings. No workers at the legislative
service headquarters, either the chair
man or his assistants, are to appear at
the hearings to testify.
The organization to fight the public's
battles was created in December. but
it is only now starting on it's real work.
So far it has been busy planning ways
and means. 1t is now deciding what
measures it will support or attack dur
ing the present session Of congress. On
taxation and transportation, the two
biggest problems it will undoubtedly
take stand and offer some assistance.
| Besides furnishing material to con-
gross, the organization will make a
point of watching pending legislation
in order to issue warnings against bills
that seem unfair to the people. An ex-
ample of this class Of legislation is the
Joker, an unobtrusive paragraph that
changes the effect Of an otherwise in
nocuous bill Often a joker is so intri-
cately worded that its full meaning is
not grasped at all in a casual reading
of the bill. Such a parliamentary STRAIT
agem would be bill fixing a wage
scale which raised the previous rates
IF the bill declared that all previous
legislation on the subject was to be-
come altogether void when the newlaw,
went into effect, some persons recelV-
ing more money for special reason
would lose instead Of gain by the new
bill Such injustices have been done
through careless or unintentional ar
rangement of wording. Even comma
many alter the sense Of a lew.
congressman Need Help.
Many people have the idea that it is
only the public that needs to be warn
ed against dangerous legislation, that
every congressman knows all the ins
and outs of his calling. AS matter
of fact; the new congressman, fresh
from q lawyers office or some other
comparatively ingenious environment,
is at big disadvantage in'the maze OF
strategy and parliamentary quibbling
so plausibly arranged by experts at the
game. Not even the old-tincr can be
always alert to note danger signals. SO
a. bureau looking for such things can
be OF definite value in pointing them
out.
Service OF this sort is rendered IN
England by a similar organization
maintained by the British labor party.
This, however, is a piece of party ma
chinery, whereas the American proto-
typc numbers Democratic, Republican
and Independent senators and repre-
sentatives in its organization. In this
it is distinctive.
The real significant influence of the
organization will bc its tendency I"
draw together congressman nf the dli-
ferent parties who are sufficiently IN
tcrested in public progress to oppose
the rcactiunal.ies in congress. Thcrc
are never very many of these con-
rressmen independent enough to brave
the dlspleasure of the party leaders
and when they fight singly they are NJ
an overwhelming disadvantage.
In the words of Basil Manly, chalr-
man of the peoples legislative service
the organization is expected to bring
together ~ group Of the best tighters
in the house and senate who will form
n. Battalion Of Death" and stand to-
cether unflinchingly and with thorough
accord upon the great measures whlch
affect the public interest. Since the
breakdown Of the group Of insurgents
in 1912. there has been no we'll organ
lied teamwork on the progressive sloc
in either house Of congress except lor
temporary alliance on special meas
ures.
I'm attcmpting to form this group no
account was taken of numbers Dut eV-