The Social Credit movement of the Union of Electors has just terminated its 20th annual congress held at St. Basile, New Brunswick, from August 30th to September 1st. Sunday August 31st, marked the high point of the congress. On that afternoon the people of New Brunswick met their government. Ministers and representatives from the New Brunswick legislature were on the congress platform. They heard the people express their will and desires. They in turn spoke to the people.
The people here were Social Crediters. They were men and women trained to political action. They met their government in an informal, friendly get-together. And the government has shown itself interested enough in its people to send an official representative of the premier to hear and speak to the people.
This is the democracy which the Union of Electors is striving to infuse into our national life. And, indeed, into society the world over.
The congress closed September 1st. But the work of the Crediters has only just begun. Throughout the coming year, members of the movement will redouble their effort to carry to Canadians the message of Social Credit. They will make ever greater efforts to weld the people into a union of electors. For it is in this fashion that Social Credit will become a glorious reality in our country.
Full time workers of the movement are presently concentrating their endeavours on Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and the Magdalen Islands. They go from door to door visiting the people. Volunteers in other provinces are doing the same thing in their leisure hours, particularly so on week ends. They introduce the message and solicit subscriptions to either "Vers Demain" or "The Union of Electors". These two papers are the official publications of the Union of Electors Social Credit movement. They are perhaps the most vitally important elements of our movement, and the following considerations explain why.
The Social Credit movement of the Union of Electors is not and can never be a political party. Were it to be so it would have to renounce the teachings of Social Credit — those principles first formulated by the genius of Major C. H. Douglas.
For a political party seeks to gather in power for itself the power of government. Social Credit, on the other hand, seeks to put the power into the hands of the people.
Those who direct this Social Credit movement, those who toil at furthering its activities, are not concerned with gathering the reins of power into their hands. Their aim is to get this power in the hands of the people. They are interested in seeing that a Social Credit regime is established. And they expect to achieve this end, not through a political party, but through an educated, determined people.
Major Douglas, who founded Social Credit, came out quite categorically against any attempt to form a Social Credit party. Look at what happened to the Social Credit party led by Mr. Low. It's disastrous end should be warning enough for us. You cannot marry Social Credit to a political party.
If Social Credit is to become a reality, it must be realized by the people through their activity. It can only come after the people have demanded, and demanded effectively, that the government legislate it into existence.
No government, however much under the influence of private interests, can resist a united, determined people who know what they want. Teach the people how to bring pressure to bear on their elected representatives! Teach them how to get what they want and can legitimately expect from their government! Now the Union of Electors teaches the people how to do this through its two papers — "Vers Demain" for French readers, "'The Union of Electors" for English readers.
This is why the workers of the movement strive to take as many subscriptions as possible so that more and more people will get through these papers the benefit of a true and practical education in politics and economics.
EARL MASSECAR