The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-09-19

new CITY FACTOR
Union Labor Men to Have Cam
didate for Mayor.
Will Also Nominate Candidates
for COuncilmen.
PLANS NOT COMPLETE.
Question Will Be Discussed in
the Unions.
Leaders Say They Want Union
Men in Office.
PLANS NOT COMPLETE

There is to be union labor ticket in
the field at the next city election. with
81 candidate for mayor and candidates
for member of the city council from
some, and possibly all of the wards OF
the city. This has been decided upon py
the union labor leaders of the city ana
within the next month will be present
ed to the various unions of the city. IL
will then come before the Trades Coun-
ell, which is the central organization or
the union labor movement.
A prominent union man said today:
IF the labor unions continue to grow
in the next six months as they have
grown in the past six months we VIII
certainly elect a union labor man as
mayor of the city of Topeka"
In the First, Second and Fifth wards
there are likely to be candidates for
members of the city council. Cand1-
dates may also be nominated in the
other wards. but the big. vote of the
unions will be in the First. Second and
Fifth Union men believe that the Firth
ward is almost certain to go for the
union candidates by large majority.
1t is claimed as stronghold
If the unions can place popular men
in the field. and especially can nominate
strong candidate for mayor, there is
no doubt that the union labor ticket
will be very formidable, and may be
successful. Five thousand votes in
three-cOrnered fight would almost
mean certain victory.
AS yet the plans of the union labor
leaders are Uniformed and if they have
decided upon a candidate for mayor
they are careful to keep his name Sc
cret. 1t would not do for it to appear
that anybody has fixed up slate, for
union men would not be likely to stand
for anything of that sort. 1t is very
likely that Editor Lucy of a labor paper
will be nominated for some office, as he,
with c. F. Ceilley, are the owners of
the paper which will no doubt be the
official organ of the union labor polit-
ical campaign.
When asked today for information
concerning the plans of the union labor
men to place a ticket in the field, Mr..
Lucy was very reticent. and asserted
that he could give out nothing concern
ing the situation because it had not de-
veloped sufficiently.
For three months" said Mr.. Lucy,
1--WE have been quietly discussing this
matter, and all I can say is that it is
certain that the union labor people Of
Topeka will have ticket in the field
at the next city election. / have no
idea who will be the candidates. That
has not been discussed. Within a month
or six weeks the matter will be officially
brought before the various unions, and
some definite action taken. I do not
know how the candidates will be nomf-
mated, but 1t will probably be by some
kind of a caucus"
Mr.. Lucy was asked whether the un-
ion vote would be likely to hang togeth-
er, in view of the proba bility of the hot
campaign between the prohibition and
resubmission forces. He said:
Union laborers recognize no prohibi-
ton or resubmission men within their
ranks. What they want is union men in
the Offices. The unions will hang to-
gether regardless of old political af1ilia-
tions. They have done SO In other cities
and will do SO here"
Asked as to the approximate voting
strength of the unions in Topeka at the
present time. Mr. Lucy said:
Il can not give an estimate on our
strength, but I believe that by the time
of the city election we will have enough
strength so that the politicians will find
that they have to consider us very SER
iously. We can elect our men if we
continue to gain strength as we have
been gaining
c. F. Ceilley. the labor organizer, who
has recently purchased an interest in
the Labor Champion. and will make his
home here. expects to continue actively
his work Of organizing unions and in
creastng the membership of those which
already exist He will be here during
the coming campaign, and will no doubt
be one of the strongest speakers for the
union labor stump.
The union men claim that it was their
votes which elected E. B. Snyder as
councilman from. the Second ward, and
because of his attitude on the Vine
wood park railway franchise they
threaten to beat him in the next cleo
tlon snyder was at one time a union
man, and the union la borites assert that
for that reason they believed him to be
their friend and supported him at the
polls instead of his Republican op-
ponent-
On the other hand union labor re-
ceived a black eye in the Fourth ward
In the last election. where the unions
made a bitter fight on Councilman w
F. Weber and lost That fight indi-
Gated that in the Fourth ward, at
least, the union labor vote is not
strong enough to dominate.
Union labor mayors seem to be get
ting to be quite the fashion. Among
the large cities of the country which
have elected union labor candidates for
mayor within the past year two are
San Francisco. Hartford. Des Moines.
Bridgeport, and Clinton. Iowa. If To.
peka does elect a union man to the
ONCE OF mayor, she will be in good COM
pany.
Conditions in Topeka are somewhat
dinerent from what they are In some of
the cities which have elected union
labor mayors, however. In some of
very corrupt administrations and peo-
pie desired radical change In To-
peka, the mighty issue of the campaign
IS prohibition or anti prohibition and
fe is questionable whether the unions
are strong enough yet to make the issue
OF unionism take precedence over these
two old issues. Many union men are
likely to consider 1t more important to
one of the two old issues instead of
voting Tor union candidates.
Temperatures of Large Cities.
Chicago. Sept 1s--Temperatures at
- %.