Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-09
NEED THE LABOR VOTE
REPUBLICANS WILL LOSE THE
HOUSE WITHOUT IT.
A New York Politician Talks Over the
III
Situation and Necessity Of
Ending Goal Strike.

An article In The Star recently urging
the republican MANAGERS not to build toe
high upon the confidence which naturally
springs from a repetition of victories and
the good times" isaidSa New York politician
to a Star reporter in an uptown hotel this
morning, may be emphasized by a point
connected with the Presidents tour
throughout the country.
The President has been most enthusiast
tically received and his personal popularity
attested in manner which must be as
pleasing to him as 1t is gratifying to his
friends. But it does not follow that the
ovations given him necessarily presage VIC
tories for the congressional candidates 1t
the fall elections, and the republican mana
gers may find themselves misled If they in
dulge In any such implicit confidence.
1T will be the labor vote which will de-
eide whether the next House is to be repub-
ncan or democratic. Especial attention
ought to be devoted to holding such of the
labor vote which ordinarily attaches to the
republican party, and to acquire from the
democracy as much thereof as may be pos
SlDle. IL this vote slips away to any APP
preciable degree 1t may be now marked
down as certain that many Of the close
congressional districts will be lost. The
lapor vote is in Its great bulk, ordinarily
claimed by the democrats and loud are the
assertions of their spelbinders on the
stump that 1t is the people to whom they
look to constitute the ribs and backbone +
the now defeated democracy.
A Senatorial Note Of Warning.
THE note of warning sounded in Senator
Hanna's Ohio speech few days ago shows
that this astute statesman and handler of
men sees the cloud upon the horizon of fu-
ture success In the Importance Of securing
and holding the labor vote. The republican
party may rely upon the business and con-
servative element absolutely, and this ele-
ment all over the country, except In the
south, will continue to draw heavily upon
the democracy. The democratic managers
expect to reach the labor vote through the
higher price of food products, and especially
that of coal among the classes who buy in
small quantities.
The pinch will come with the cold days,
and 1t is to be during the cold days that
the vote is to be cast. The coal strike was
to be settled within a given time but be-
yond assertions and hopes of settlement it
shows no signs Of abating. On the con-
trary the position of the coal operators is
more than ever against that of the miners.
The conclusion is inevitable, aside from
other highly important reasons, that the
strongest active politics which can be played
by the republican party is to bring about at
almost any cost, If 1t be possible, cessa-
ton Of hostilities in the coal regions before
OF the democracy is to inactively lay back
and hope that there will be no settlement.
The question may as we'll be looked
squarely in the light of cold fact. The la
Dor vote must not be eStranged. A demo-
cratic Congress to wind out the term of
Mr.. Roosevelt would be serious hindrance
to the administration and a grave menace
to the republican party's success at the en-
suing presidential election. The fact tina Il
with a republican Senate and President a
democratic House would practically be DOW
erless to enact legislation in nowise inter-
feres with Its clogging the wheels of the
administration very seriously and altogether
acting most disastrously as a factor In the
presidential campaign
The Next House Essential.
III there was ever time when it was
essential to the future Of the republican
party to secure the House this is the time
With a democratic House the political situ-
alton would be grfevousy distorted The
business interests Of the country would be
the first to respond. That a great impetus
to ultimate democratic success would be
given cannot be denied by minded men.
The gradual shelving Of Organism by the
different state conventions would encourage
the gold democrats to return to their party
Accessions to the democracy in various
ways would be rapid. Before the republi-
can managers would realize it the party
condition into an unexpected state of vi
tality resembling its old time vigor The
wak-overs for the republican party would
be found to have been passed
THE labor vote must be held by the re-
publican party. There is no vote so SEN
sitive, none quickly responsive one way
the other as organized and unorganized
labor. AS a rule this great and almost
controlling class of voters look to the pres
ent and not to the future Ten-dollar coal
and twenty-five-cent beef would be about
as far as most of them would look
The republican party will lose the next
House if it loses the labor vote. The out
put of coal is 2O,0O0,OOO tons short TODAY.
1t will be 10000, 600 tons in a few weeks.
If any one expects that normal prices will
be restored before cold weather sets in un-
less work be speedily resumed he Is not
familiar with conditions in the mining re-
giOns
The spontaneous greeting of the Presi-
dent is more than gratifying, but let the
republican managers remember that it is
the greeting of united country and not
of the adherents of the great party he SO
well represents.
The labor vote should be more closely
looked after