Omaha daily bee., 1884-08-20
THE probabilities for to-day in Nebras-
ka are: Extreme heat and violent politi-
cal storms. There are three republican
congressional conventions to be held.
The Labor Vote,
I. louis Globe Democrat.

st, Louis Globe Democrat.
The certainty of the candidacy of Gen.
Butler brings into prominence an ele-
ment of politics which has always been
powerful, but also always heretofore a
hidden force whose mighty strength has
been swallowed ny, now here, now
there, first by n political organization,
then by another, according as local inter
ests or personal preferences swayed the
individuals composing it, but always
carrying victory to the side on which il
fought and bringing defeat to its oppo.
nents. The term labor vote is, as a
general thing, used 80 indefinitely that
it Is a matter of no small difficulty to
tell exactly what is meant by it. In one
sense, every man who earns his living il
a laborer, whether he work with his
hands or his wits, but the expression is
seldom understood to have so broad ar
acceptation.
AS a rule, the labor vote is understood
to comprise those who work with theil
hands in some manufacturing or indus
trial occupation as the employees o.
others, but even this definition is moi
exact, since it would exclude many who
labor in their own interest, and yet are
as truly engaged in industrial occupations
as if they worked in manufactures. The
small farmer, for instance, would not,
with his understanding of the term, be
counted as a laborer, though his condi.
ton may be but slightly removed from
that of his hired man; nor would the
owner of a blacksmith shop, though he
himself might be the sole employee. The
difficulty is only partially removed when
the laborer is understood to be the man
who works for wages, since a very large
class of persons in this country receive
wages and do not consider themselves as
laborers, nor are they Sc regarded by
others.
The difficulty of drawing the line
therefore is almost insuperable, but if we
accept the statements of the tenth census
without calling in question the means by
which those results were attained, we
shall find that there were in 1880 en-
ployed as ''laborers," the kind of labor
not specified, ~1,959-223 persons, while
employed in industrial manufactures
there were 1887, 112, making the labor
ers of the country number 1904, 335, OF
about a tenth of the population. The
entire voting population, according to the
tenth census, was IL, s30 $40, but the
full voting strength has never been call.
ed out by any election, the vote in 1880
being 1891, OS9, or but two thirds of the
entire vote. 1t will thus be seen that
if there be but one voter in every
five of the laboring population, the labor
vote will amount to one-eighth of the
entire popular vote, but the probable
tiles are that the proportion is much
greater; that at least one-half of the Ia
borers are voters. Their political strength
is thus enormous, if they only knew it,
but heretofore they have been unable to
concentrate their force, and it has gone
to one or the other of the two leading
parties. 1t is not likely that Gen. But
Ter will poll any considerable part of the
laboripg vote outside of certain limited
localities, but he is a wonderful organ.
izer, and may develop an unexpected
strength among the laboring men, ever
outside of New York and New Jersey.