Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-29
WILL CONCENTRATEITSF FIRE
On Speaker Cannon and Representa-.
tive Mann.
LAB0R'S WARRING FACTIONS
Have Not Yet Been Harmonized, but
President Of Federation is Working
His Attack on Speaker.
,cial Correspondence Of The Star.

Special Correspondence Of The Star.
CHICAGO, September p, 1906
Samuel Gompers, president of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor, is in Chicago pre-
pairing to launch the union labor campaign
against Illinois representatives and men,
| bers of the state legislature who are con-
s:dered unfriendy to labor. He has an
| nounced that the federation will concen-
trate it's fire chiefly upon two men in this
| state who, he charges, are corporation serv-
ants. These are Speaker Joseph G. Can
non and Representative James H. Mann,
who represents the Hyde Park district Of
this city in the House.
Before beginning this task, however, the
federation chief has found it necessary to
try to harmonic the warning Hearst and
union labor factions. This is proving deli
cate and difficult problem, and If 1t is not
solved, and solved at once, there will be
such split politically. in union labors
ranks in this city and county that the labor
movement will meet much greater defeat
than 1t did in the fight on Representative
Littlef1eld in Maine.
Warning Factions.
A certain faction of the labor men who
have turned against Hearst organized a
political labor movement under the name Of
the progressive alliance This alliance has
put a full county. legislative and a partial
congressional ticket in the field. When the
Hearst Independence League was organ
lied a strenuous effort was made by local
Hearst managers to induce the alliance to
coalesce with the league According to the
alliance officers threats cajolery, bull
doing and bribery were resorted to by
Hearst men, but to no avil.
Then the Hearst league put out a full
city and county ticket and announced that
1t would also present legislative and con-
gregational ticket. This latter ticket has
been practically completed, but the league
the arrival of Mr.. Gompers they wished
to get his approval of it If possible.
Union labor is badly split on the political
movement question, and this fact was I'M
mind soon after his arrival. The progress
i've alliance faction is headed by some
OF the most able and influential labor lead
ers in Chicago, including John J. Fitzpat-
rick, president of the Chicago Federation
and the alliance candidate for sheriff. Many
equally able and influential leaders, how
ever, are stout champions of the Indepen-
dence League. while probably a large ma
Jority of the rank and file of the unions
are Hearst men.
After finding that the bitterest hostility
prevailed between the alliance and the
Hearst union men, Mr.. Gompers called a
conference of representatives of both sides
and made a strong effort to secure COM
promise All his arguments for peace and
united action were unavailing. Each side
insisted on the other Withdrawing It's ticket
Finally Gompers proposed a Cancellation
committee composed of three members of
each faction and himself which SHOULD
make last effort for harmony. This plan
was adopted, although it is not believed it
will be successful.
The Independence League meanwhile has
announced part of its legislative and con-
and reputable labor leaders have been
named for the legislature and Congress on
this ticket.
In Mr.. Mann's District.
In the second district, Representative
Mann's, the league plans to indorse the
democratic candidate Samuel Friedman.
The progressive alliance has nominated Pc
ter Peterson, a street car motorman Fried
man is a well-known and popular business
man of South Chicago, part of the district
where the big mills of the Illinois Steel
Company and other manufacturing plants,
employing thousands of men, are located.
1t Is believed by Mr.. Gompers and others
that through the influence Of the labor
unions-provided that influence be not weak
workers in this chief industrial section of
Chicago can be induced to vote almost SOL
idly against Mann. If this should happen
he would be buried under an avalanche of
adverse votes, despite the fact that his Is
considered one Of the most solid republican
districts in the city.
Mr.. MannS prestige. 1t is important to |
state, suffered severely in the bitter pri- |
mary campaign waged against him by State |
Senator Francis Parker
The bitterness of this campaign has not !
died out yet Parker's friends, 1t Is gener- |
ally believed, will knife Mann, and if they |
do they alone will cut down materially the |
normal majority of about 1900 votes II |!
the democrats and labor men combine on |
one candidate it is believed by many that |
they can defeat Mann at least give him |
the political fight of his life,
A number of the best union labor speakers
Of the country will stump the districts of
Mann and Cannon. In the national Speak
ar's district the labor men will fight for
the election of the democratic candidate
There are 5000 miners in his district and
John Mitchell, president Of the United Mine
Workers, will take a leading part with
Iompers in the effort to defeat Mr.. Can
non. Gompers has intimated that he will
AXE the stump there against the Speaker.
lored by Mr.. Gompers and his aids. They
Will do their utmost to turn the union labor
vote away from the states twenty-fo |
republican congressman. Where independ- |
mt labor candidates have not been named
he federation will support the democratic
The Independence League has Endorsed
hree democratic candidates in local con-
.ressional districts. They are Frank Buc-
ianan in the seventh, James T. McDermott
II the fourth and Charles Young in the
enth-all union labor men. Besides these
he league has nominated John M. Vail a
labor leader, in the ninth dis
riot against Representative II. S. Boutell
Quln O'Rrien, the democratic nominee in
his district, has witlldrawn); Abram Preiss
n the eighth against Representative Nc