The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-12-04
LABOR TO PLAY POLITICS.
Various Unions to Exercise Polltica1
 Influence.
Washington Special to New orie'

Washington Special to NC" oiieo"'
 Times-Democrat.
 Several facts of recent observation are now lending color to the belief that tnere is a general and determined efrort on the mart of the labor unions or the country 'o exercise political influence as means ol securing better pay and more faVoraoie conditions oT work for themselves It ap- nears that the success that has attended the attempts to call in the innuence oi politicians in connection with the coai strike has profoundly impressed gooa many labor men with the importance or political activities as a means or adVahc ing their objects The resolve to enter largely into politics, however, is not vague. but seems to represent deliberate plan of the labor interests of the coun- try.
 interesting light was thrown on the sit uation today by George H. Shibley, who has just returned to Washington after attending the session of the National Federation of Labor at New Orleans.
 MT, Shibley Is the man who for several years has been carrying vigorous agita- ton for the adoption of the so-calied ln- itiative and referendum and who has strongly urged these alleged reforms upon the labor bodies of tTie country as the
 
 gaining political power. In evidence of the success which has thus far attended his efforts, Mir Shibley points to mum Der of Western States in which the in- itiative and referendum have been adopt ed, and calls attention to the fact that at the recent meeting of the American Federation of Labor the latest success Of the movement was won in the adoption of resolutions recommending the introdac- ton of the reforms in which he Is inter ested.
 This, however, being merely prepara- ton for political work, does not by any means indicate the extent to which the American Federation of Labor went at the meeting inu New Orleans in urging di- rect political action. A resolution adopt ed there recommended the preparation and introduction in Congress of bills of Oriental immigration. government by in junction and shorter hours, these bills to be sent ta executive officers of each State Federation of Labor, to be by those offi~ cers presented to the conventions of va rious political parties.
 Many labor men here are now predicting an increasing effort to employ the strike as a, political weapon Should the coal arbitration result as Is hoped by labor sympathizers the outcome will doubtless DC 10 Stllnulate COnSluSTdDlN tHS cllOl lS to get advances in wages or concessions of some kind from employers by labor disturbances, stirred up at time of criti- cal interest in politics.
 This determined and concerted effort. whose existence Is now freely admitted, has a rather important bearing upon ma tional politics. It Is claimed that Senator Hanna is very favorable to formal recog hilton of trades unionism, and to such le- gal measures as would result in giving the various organizations a standing be- fore the law as well as distinct recogni- tion in party councils.
 Whether this merely means a belief in the idea that the unions should be 'n- corporated. or whether it means some thing more than this. the expositors Of Mir. Hanna's views do not state They say however. that in tho next Prcsi- dential election the labor element will play a very large part, and that it will! exert no mean influence in determining the outcome at the Presidential nominat- ing convention of the Republican Party.
 It is known, however, that some of the higher officers of the American Fedora tion of Labor have no faith in Mir Han mas honesty of intention in what he says to labor interests. They regard such talk as nothing more than an effort to attract favorable attention to himself as an as- pirant for political honors. It Is belicv- ed that the eight-hour labor bill will be called up again this session as a result of the present agitation.