The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-04
WHERE'S The LABOR POLITICS?
NONE OF THE USUAL WORKING
MEMS LEAGUES THIS YEAR.

Trades Union Delegates Think the ReEu-
lar Parties Have Got On TO the Fact
That Labor Politicians Can't De-
liver the GOods-Tho Old Grafters.
The absence Of labor political parties in
the present campaign Is a notable fact.
With the exception Of the Parks-Devery
movement there is no ection sp2eah ~
specially to labor unions. II Devery de-
cided on a full ticket Parks would be put
on it as candidate for President OF the
Borough Of Mania: tan.
The w orkingmen's Political League was
formed last spring. What it's numerical
strength was no one appeared TO know,
but il was supposed to have held at leaf
two meetings, at one OF which, according
TO it's press committee, organizers were
appointed o form branch in every election
district. Since the camp aign Gtarted TINS
body has lot been heara OF.
In other campaigns at least two bodies
of this kind have been formed with from
six 10 a hundred members in each. One
was sold to consist only of six men who
,ulars and lsued platforms The phi leipal
plank in each pla form was invariably
10 the effect that they were organized to
push the candidacy of men who were favor
able 10 labor irrespective of party.
One year there were five OF these parties, ,
and il an Assemblyman or Senator which
any of these parties Endorsed was elected
the labor bodies took credit for it Each
of them at times accused the other OF
selling out" to either the Republican party
or Tammany.
Edward Kelly, delegate Of the Electrical
Workers Union, admitted yesterday that
the labor vote could not be turned over
to any party in blocks. but he insisted
that William j. O'Brien was elected Sherin
by the labor vote the second time he ran,
-The first time he ran, said Kelly, he
was on the labor ticket, but he killed him
self by taking the Republican nomination.
Kelly admitted that the first time, q swell
az the second time, O'Brien was indorsed
by all the labor unions.
A delegate who has been in many cam
paigns said:
afhe labor vote cut no ice in either CAM
paipn. O'Brien was elected the second
time he ran in spite of organized labor.
as he ran behind his ticket, and the deiec-
ton was by the labor men. Members OF
labor unions, with the exception of few
Socialists, are for the most part dyed IN
the wool Republicans or Democrats. and
while they shout and whoop for particular
candidates before election, they vote the
straight ticket at election
! The reason for the absence OF labor
part les this year, in spite OF the oppor-
tunties for graft or for rewards for alleged
services, was this man said, that politicians
nj last had come to realize that there was
no such thing as a labor vote Labor
unions represented only one-fifth OF the
actual number of working people who
voted, anyway.
continued. -Presidents or other officers OF
labor unions cannot control the votes OF
their unions They can only control their
own votes II they were active in trying
10 influence others they would be sup
poeed to have some Interior motive, as there
are no people more jealous or distrRtful
than union men. Members of trade organ
izations who are elected Assemblymen
or State Senators or to other offices are
not elected through the support of the un-
ions, but because they happen to be strong
candidates in their districts
The speaker pointed to the disastrous
campaign OF James j. Coogan, the labor
candidate for Mayor in 1888, as an instance
of the elusive character OF the so-called
labor vote. The very men who beat tom
! toms for Coogan and took his money az
ager ts did not even vote for him, and some
of them boosted of il.
Another labor leader said: 1T has been
popularity supposed that the 8sOOO votes
obtained for Henry George in 1855 as the
candidate of the United Labor party for
Mayor was the vote Of organized labor.
f, On The contrary, the larger part of this vote
came from small shopkeepers of all kinds
clerks and other unorganized men, who
were dissatisfied with conditions. Prob
ably, however, more members Of labor un-
ions voted together eolidly for one candi-
date then than ever before or since
The latest efforts to inject the labor idea
into the present campaign were made In
an attempt to stampede the convention OF
for the nomination for Borough President
This was done by Abe Coakley and Deputy
Sheriff Tim Healev, who belongs to the
Brotherhood of Firemen. An effort was
made to get District Attorney Jerome to in
terest himself in the matter. Both attempts