The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-10-13
LAB0R's REAL FRIENDS.

0UR ESTEEMED MORNING CON-
~ temporary. with the election only
a few weeks distant. has become
extremely soiicitous for the well
fare Of the laboring men. Yesterday
it walked up. for the first time. to
the injustices which are being COM
mitted by the anthracite coal barons
on their operatives, and endorsed the
Democratic suggestion that the mines
by taken out of the hands of the
trust magnates. While The Herald is
glad to welcome its contemporary into
the ranks OF those who feel that la
Dor is not receiving its fair share OF
the prosperity" which il says is so
universal. we cannot help fearing that
this is another case of devil and
monk"
Let us turn back the political pages
for just a few days for the sake of
ascertaining just how kindly the Re
publican party. OF which our contem-
porary is the leading exponent in this
territory, feels toward organized Ia
Dor. Thomas Watkin is president of
the Utah Federation of Labor. Mr..
Watkin has long been an earnest Re
publican. faithful in party work. con-
scientious in his efforts TO secure party
success at the polls.
Mr.. Watkins name was presented TO
the Republican convention as can
didate for one of the places on the
house ticket. IN his behalf II was
urged that he stood for the union la
Dor element. that his nomination would
be a recognition of the rights of la
Dor. and that If the convention cared
anything about laboring men, Mr..
Watkin would be nominated. The
appeal fell on deaf ears. Indeed. the
delegates listened with ill-concealed
Impotence to the description of Wat
kin's merits. He had made the great
mistake Of trying to run Independently
of the machine.
After several hours spent in taking
the ballot the votes were counted and
the results announced. Twenty-seven
names had been placed before the
convention. On this list the name
of Thomas Watkin stood twenty-sixth.
He received just nineteen votes out OF
a possible five hundred odd, at the
hands of the friends of the labor
ing man. Only one man received
fewer votes than he.
Now we invite attention to another
political assemblage, the Democratic
county convention, held one week later.
Organized labor was represented there
with earnest workers. who presented
for consideration the name OF Thomas
Morris. vice president of the Utah
Federation of Labor. Mr.. Morris is
loyal Democrat, but he is not more
loyal to his party than Mr.. Watkin
is to the Republicans. The suggestion
that Mr.. Morris be given a place on
the Democratic legislative ticket was
received with the greatest enthusi-
asm.
When the votes were counted it was
found that out OF a possible $40 votes
he had received 500. Nineteen can
didates were before the convention, and
Mr.. Norris stood second. The nomi-
nee receiving the highest number OF
votes was Frank B. Stephens, than
whom few Democrats are better known
or more popular. And Mr.. Stephens
only led Mr.. Morris by the narrow
margin OF two votes. Those are the
records OF the two county conventions
The Herald invites members of the Ia
Dor unions and friends Of union labor
TO look upon these pictures
The Republicans. guided and manipu'
lated by a powerful machine, treated
the labor candidate with absolute con-
tempt. The Democrats, always genu'
inely friendly to labor regardless OF
whether or not a campaign is II
progress, nominated the labor candi'
date practically by reclamation. How
can the friends of union labor and
the members OF labor unions give
their support TO the Republican ticket