Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-05-13
LABOR FOR PARKER.
Democrats Believe Connecticut, New Jersey and West virgiuia ara His.

like 2I,OO0 votes in three states where the total vote is more than 7JO,00O
 would take these commonwealths out
 of the republican column and place 1 them to the credit of the democratic candidate for president, provided there
 was no railing off ill the democratic 1 vote of 1900. Democratic politicians I Ill Washington are hopeful that Judge
 Alton E. Parker will be able to change
 the votes necessary to carry these
 three votes for his party.
 ] The states i'll question are Connecti- :. cut, New Jersey and West Virginia. l All three were carried by Cleveland i'll
 1888 and 1902. Connecticut and West l Virginia went democratic in 1888 by d l small majority. the outcome of the for
 mer state turning on the result of less 1 than 400 votes. In 1892 New Jersey
 and Connecticut went democratic by l increased InaJorities, West Virginia being carried by some 4,0O0 votes, which was gain over the figures of
 the previous four years.
 With the nomination of Bryan oil a free silver platform in 1896, the three states were swept into the republican column with tremendous majorities for Mckinley. The democratic vote took an awful slump all along the line. New Jersey being lost by nearly 100,- OOO, where. only four years previously l it had been carried by Cleveland by
 15,000. The loss, proportionately, was as great ill Connecticut.
 Democratic managers are figuring on return to something like the results of 1888 and 1892 this year. They be- lieye that the nomination of Judge Parker on conservative platform of the kind that will secure the approval of the big commercial and industrial interests of these three states will re- store the democratic party to the posi- t1On it occupied when Cleveland was elected to the presidency. Nearly all the democratic employers of labor ill Connecticut, New Jersey and West Virginia were driven out of the party by the free silver platforms of 1896 and 1900 Abundant evidence has been received that these men are anx- ious to get back into their old party The Parker talk has revived their for nler pride and interest in democracy, and they are now not only. ready to vote for Parker, but to work for him.
 The labor element i'll both Connecti- cut and New Jersey must be reckoned 1 with by the party leaders in estimating l the results there. Organized labor as a voting force has lately achieved no- table victories. particularly in Connec- ticut, where i'll recent elections labor candidates for mayor have ben placed l in power. In New Jersey the great 1 mass of workingmen may almost be 1 said to control election results. The 1 same thing is true, but to a less de- gree, ill West Virginia There is 1 more or less of socialistic vote in New Jersey Aand an independent labor ticket in 1900 got some 2,000 votes
 Democratic managers ill Washington l are pinning their hopes for success in these three states this fall on the nom ination of Judge Parker on conserva tive platform, the dissatisfaction with the republican party on the part of labor, and on internal dissensions in l the republican organizations A great deal was heard at the capitol during the closing days of the session of con gress about the grievances of labor. Ever since the convening of the fifty eighth congress in December last there has been a big labor lobby in Wash ington. urging the passage of two or three bills desired by the unions. One was the eight-hour law and another was the anti-injunction act Both l failed The labor men say that less considera ton was given to them this year than ill any previous session for q long time. On the day of adjourn l ment they were a sore lot and left l Washington .vowing vengeance. Rep resentative Allan Benny, of the Tenth 1 New Jersey congressional district, ill ! talking over democratic prospects in [ his state, said:
 T think New Jersey will go demo | cratic this year if Judge Parker is | nominated as against Roosevelt. The labor vote is the controlling factor fn | New Jersey. Heretofore this vote has { always been divided between the two leading parties. I have strong hopes, however, that this year the laboring people of the state will realize the evil of splitting up their strength and vote as unit. Judge Parker is acceptable to the laboring element of my state, | and l trust that it will unite on him,
 1T have noticed considerable opposi- tion to MT Roosevelt among the labor ing men, not only of New Jersey, but of other states. The reason for this hostility, as expressed by the repre- sentatiyes of labor, is that the republi- can party has been promising to them everything for the past seven years and actually doing nothing. The feel ing of resentment because of unfulfilled pledges seems to be reaching a climax and think the full force of it is apt to be felt along about November next Every labor measure that has been before congress this year was either beaten altogether o1. sidetracked. In it's platforms of 1896 and 1900 the republi can party made certain promises re- garding the restriction of fInmigra tion. Yet Mir Grosvenor. in a speech made a few days before adjournment, boasted Of the fact that labor was on the free list The party has redeemed none of it's pledges to labor The eight-hour bill and the antiinjunction measure fell by the wayside. Neither was ad- vanced this year as much as it was last year All these things are not lost on organized labor. The work will no longer be fooled by the shout. We are your