POLITICAL PARTIES

foreign place is the heart of our democracy here it is our privilege and our duty to vote for our representatives in Municipal state and federal government in most elections a voter has his choice of several candidates running for each office he may if he wishes vote for various candidates as individuals to run on the tickets of political parties and most voters choose not between individuals but simply between the two major political parties Republican and Democratic other candidates May seek election on minority party tickets socialists farmer labor prohibition Communists and others Although our constitution makes no provision for political parties they have existed ever since the founding of the United States but what is a political party why do we need them what do they accomplish we can find the answer to our questions right here at this electioneering booth this is Mrs Parker a citizen of Middleville she seems pretty concerned about politics and political parties Mrs Parker perhaps you can tell us what we want to know well I don't know whether I can tell you very much you see this is my and our first real experience with politics until now most of us felt that we were too busy with our own problems to give much thought to whom we elected or what they did after we elected them mornings my biggest job was getting Virginia out of the house on time to walk 15 blocks to school and once she had gone off worrying about all those streets she had to cross streets that were dangerous even for grown-ups we parents never did more than worry until one day when Mrs fabrini's son Paul was late starting for school [Music] Paul never got to school that day but his accident made the parents of Middleville determined to see that more schools be built schools that were close to their homes but just what could they do about getting more schools it was Mrs Parker who suggested that they take their case to the mayor who was also a leader of the political party most of them had voted for in the last election mayor Willis I am indeed honored that you have come to your mayor with your problem why no one in this town was more concerned than I over the accident that befell your young neighbor Mr Mayor we appreciate your sympathy but we've come to ask your help in getting more and better schools built now you know that one of the planks I was elected on was more schools for our children but our citizens must realize that it takes money to build schools and our city treasury just can't stand the burden at this time this whole problem requires thorough study I believe the most practical solution would be to appoint a committee of time this can't wait it's actually a problem of life and death besides Mr Mayor we voted for you because you said you'd build more schools my dear Madam in running for office a man has to promise many things but it often turns out that it isn't always possible shall I say to carry out all these promises you mean you won't do anything about the school problem I wouldn't put it as bluntly as that but that's what you mean very well then we'll take our plea to another party and if we don't get any satisfaction there we'll organize our own party and run our own Canada Premiere in the next election Now isn't that just a little bit out of your line after all you can't create a political party just by wanting it to be oh we realize that but if you review your history of this nation you'll find that political parties do change they change your names and numbers old ones die and new ones are born and remember mayor the time when new parties are born is when the voters can't get what they want from the old ones now don't be Hasty perhaps we can talk this over a little more fully after all I can be persuaded I'm sorry Mr Mayor we've already been persuaded persuaded that you're not a man who stands back of his promises good afternoon but Mrs Parker foreign so Mrs Parker and her friends took their case to George Crane leader of the opposing political party and if you were Faithfully promised to give us the schools we demand we believe we can get enough votes to win the election you can count on my support because you're offering me a campaign issue which has great appeal to voters a political party wants to get in power and stay there to do so it tries to win over the voters by offering the most attractive candidates and issues but one thing more is necessary what's that a strong political machine yes to stand a chance of winning an election a party must have a machine men and women and every Precinct who make friends for the party the year round by giving out baskets of food by taking voters and their families to the country for a good time on the 4th of July by getting them jobs when they need them at election time these workers conduct an aggressive campaign persuading people to vote for the party and seeing to it that all the party's friends are registered and that everyone who they believe will vote for the party actually turns out in votes party workers are people who stand to benefit if the party wins the election they may hope to benefit personally or they may hope to benefit in less selfish ways as you people do and the more that people like you who take an active part in the work of the party the better the party will be and the better your government will be well if it's an honest machine you want then we'll work for it good working together will get those goals the campaign was underway Mrs Parker and her friend soon learned how tightly mayor Willis controlled the city through his party's machine the only way to loosen his grip was to employ the same tactics they had to Fight Fire With Fire it was hard work convincing people to vote for Crane showing voters how their party was the link between them and the public officials who were to serve them how they could use the party to translate their ideas of government into their actual living government all this activity naturally cost money contributions came from people who stood to gain from more schools Merchants whose customers wouldn't move away if there were adequate schools nearby landlords whose tenants would continue to rent their homes and apartments contractors whose business it would be to build the new schools parents who were concerned for their children's safety and just plain people who gave their support to a just cause and here we are at the end of the battle how it will come out we don't know yet but you can't say that we didn't work for what we wanted and what we believe to be good for our city and for our country Mrs Parker or remember when we elect our highest officer the president of the United States we have a choice only between candidates offered to us by political parties and even within the White House we will find political parties at work four as we think of the president conferring with the national chairman of his party with the leaders of his party's forces in the Senate and House of Representatives and with his cabinet members who usually belong to the same party we see that it is the party which ties together the various branches of our complex federal government and makes possible the carrying out of a unified policy a policy which the voters of the nation dictated when they elected that party and this same system of political parties operates in other countries in Great Britain friends Canada Sweden Mexico all these countries and others have found as we have found that the party system is basic to any true democracy to any government which is founded on the idea that the people ought to have the kind of government they want so long as they work to achieve that kind of government [Music] foreign