Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-02-13
PARTY"
How nj, Leaf One Labor Leader sizes VI
that .sCalI."

How ut Leaf One Labor Leader sizes Up
that Call"
"What do | think Of the call for a State
Convention of the Union Labor party ?"
said a gentleman rather prominent in local
labor circles, to a REGISTER reporter, yes
terday, ID reply to n question. well, l
don't think much of it, and no man has a
greater regard for the interests of the
working mar than myself, as all who$now
me will say. The thing is open to suspi-
cion. Itlooks as if it was a little scheme,
to be operated, not in the interests Of the
workingmen of the State, bat as a sort Of
tail to the Blaine kite"
What exeites your suspicious, particu-
larly?"
THAT'S a nice question for a well-posted
newspaper man to ask. Why, look at the
names attached to the call. D, you rec.
opnize that crowd? Regular politicians,
almost to a man and mostly Re-
publicans. Let's go over the list.
First, there's r. q. Freer, of Richie, in
whom We have a Republican, who has,
however, been toying a little with the
Greenback and Labor parties.
"Then there's DR.. Barbee, ex.Confeder-
ate Democrat originally, it's true, but
later q Greenbscker, and still later q Re.
publican, and who as such ran against Ed
Hogg, the regular Democratic candidate for
Congress in the Fourth District. He is a
partisan politician from away back, and
his present prominent and conspicuous
place in the councils of the new party will
rather surprise some of his friends in the
back counties who may not be posted as to
the true object to be gained.
Then there's E. w. Sturm, a good
enough Republican to be nominated by the
State Convention at Parkersburg for the
Office Of State Treasurer. So much for
him.
Everybody knows Judge Guthrie. He
was elected Judge in the Kanawba district
on a fusion ticket, but he's a Republican
through and through. He may he trying
the same game in another way by working
up a fusion with the labor vote as one of
the chief factors, but, az they say in the
song, l doubt it. The Judge is a pretty
slick politician, and anything he embarks
in, ia a political way, will bear the closest
scrutiny, especially when the workingman
is the reputed beneficiary.
"That brings US to S. H. Piersol. of the
GreeRbdck Standard, Parkersburg He
must have made up his mind to very ma
terially modify the tone of that organ, as
I used to hear it, back in the days OF 1880
John l.. Janney, aud John Farron, Of
Martinsburg, are both well-known poll
~ticians, Janney, at'ieast, being identified
with the Greenback party, and, if | re-
member rightly, he was at one time a nom
luce for some minor office on the State
ticket
''Burtt we know as a Republican poll
tician He WAS a candidate for Auditor
on that ticket, and is a politician who can
hold his own with those above named
Stealey, l think, is in earnest in the mat
ter, but he will not weigh much against
the rest of the crowd, and as / have said,
| feel a little shy of the whole thing
Where, in the name OF all things political,
does the labor element come i'll. There
isn't q laboring man among EN-, in the
true sense of the word, if We make an ex-
ception of Burt For one, | decline TO
help pull these cnestnuts out Of the fire.
When l join a wOrkingman's movement, or
a labor party, l want to see some q be-
side o halt:dozen veteran politicians at the
head Of the organization, and ito not 80
apt to excite remark. The only possible
result the Union Labor party could accom-
plish, would be the defeat of some Demo
cratic candidate, through drawing votes
from hat organization to the support OF
the alleged Labor ticket, without the re-
hottest chance of any of the Labor can
didates pulling through. Now if there was
a fusion with one OF the great parties, it
might be different, but as it is, its only a
Republican dodge"