Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1925-10-30
4. +. of l.. DenOunces
Present Assault ON Rep
resentative Government

Unanimous denunciation Of those
Who would di>credjt congress Was a
leading feature of the action of the
American Federation of Labor con
veution held in Atlantic City, The
non-partisan political policy of the
American Federation of Labor was de-
cared 70 be IMPERATIVE as a measure
OF defense against the present assault
on representative government" The
declaration follows;
the assault on our democratic in
stitutions has not only continued un-
abaIed since last years presidential
election; it has been intensified and
extended. The Executive Council re-
fers to the nationwide plot to weaken
or abolish the primaries. All of the
great reactionary newspapers and
commercial organizations are en-
Enthusiastically and persistently at work
In this campaign. Ii would carry the
nation back a full quarter century to
the narrow, corrupt and inefficient
partisan politics that governed the
country before the days of Theodore
Roosevelt, koodrow Wilson and
Robert NJ. laFollette.
But the assault on the primaries
is accomplished by another campaign,
even more sinister and reactionary-
the nationwide and concerted effort
to undermine and destroy the author
| ity of congress.
"The sneering libels on the last
congress because of its progressive
| ness have been replaced within the
last year or two IN a large part of the
daily press by attacks against con-
gress generally, and against congress
sional government.
| THE demand that congress adjourn,
the so-called humorous jibes ut con-
gress, are always in evidence when
congress is eosidering measure for
the masses rather than the classes.
This newest reactionary campaign
unparalleled in its turbulence and inn
pudnce, means nothing less than an
effort insidiously to overthrow the
American form of government and 10
replace it by a supreme executive.
1t Is an tempt to set up in this coun-
try system differing only in degree
from the government of Mussolini,
for which our stand-patters cannot
suppress their sympathy and admlra-
ton. With congress subordinated there
could be no democratic or representa-
| tive government, only an autocracy,
an oligarchy, a bureaucracy, or an
unholy combination of these outworn
forms of misgovemment.
Every decade and nearly every
election has shown a more progressive
IcOngress-a congress more truly rep
/ 80, = NJ l1h D
| The congress elected last year to
meet this December was no excep-
| ton.
"ln spite of the overshadowing i'm
portance of the presidential campaign
nearly half of the present senate and
! house were elected with the support
of labor and of republican, democratic
and Independent progressives, while
scarcely a fourth were elected against
the opposition of the popular forces.
in the election of 1924, as the
| Executive Council has declared, 1.-THE
A. +. of l.. followed its traditional
non partisan political campaign pro-
cedure." This policy is persistently
and often Intentionally misstated.
While it endorses no parties, 1t uses
! all. Ii endorses neither the two major
/ parties nor any third party. 1t does
endorse candidates of the two major
parties and occasionally of third par
! ties, or candidates running independ-
emily.
| In the last election it endorsed 303
candidates of the house of represen-
tatiyes, electing 1876. OF thoce endorsed
! $50 were republicans and democrats
and % were independents or repre-
sentatives of minor parties. And
! labor emphasized the congressional
rather than the presidential election.
These figures give an accurate picture
of labor's non-partisan policy and
there is no excuse for further mis-
representation.
THE next step cannot be open to
question. Further progress toward
strengthening the popular forces in
/ congress and securing a firm and re-
! liable majority favorable TO labor and
the people must come through a more
energetic and effective national or
ganization of the primary and election
/ campaigns - reinforcing the local
campaigns and without any infringe
ment of local autonomy. 1t will not be
necessary to make any special effort
/ i'm many congressional districts. The
returns show that large majority Of
those districts that have sent to
/ Washington men friendly to the labor
and popular cause in the last two are
/ safe for democracy. Other rockribbed
conservative districts show no signs
/ of getting early political wisdom.
/ There remain less than hundred
close districts to be held or captured
not more than a few in any one state
"a task entirely within the range Of
practical possibility for the national
and local organizations of labor and
/ its progressive allies.
Il thoroughly and permanently