Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-25
LABOR AND POLITICS NEXT MOVE BY HADLEYl
Discussed by Leaders of Both To Follow Up Admission by the
Parties. Standary Oil Company
SPEAKER CANNON IND0RSED IN THE NEW YORK HEARING
His Special Organizations Securing
ANY Committee. ton of Case
MR. GOMPERS ANNOUNCEMENT LETTERS
ton day-Direcion Management
hedges Possible of
SPEAKER CANNON IND0RSED
His Refusal to Special Organizations
of ANY Committee.
MIR. GOMPERs' ANNOUNCEMENT
Belief That His Followers Will Dues
ton Candidates and Secure
Pledges, If Possible.

The determination Of the American Fed
Grafton OF Labor, expressed in the formal
action of It's executive council yesterday
TO agsressively enter the coming congress
eional campaign, will probably attract wide
spread attention in political circles. Yes
terdav's decision OF the council is possible
of but one construction, 1t was said pS
politicians last night, and that Is that tnt
federation proposes to make good the threat
intimated to President Roosevelt and me
Congress leaders last Wednesday and en-
ter actively into the campaign against can
didates for Congress who will not pledge
themselves unreservedly to the program oil
the labor leaders
The proposed course will involve both po-
lticaI parties as partisan distinction can
not well be made. Speaker Cannon point
ed out to the labor leaders who called on
him that he was responsible for the per-
sonnel of the republican members of the
committees against which the labor lead
ers complained and that Mr.. John Sharl
Williams was responsible for the demo-
cratic appOintees on the committees
No PARTY Lines Have Been Drawn.
No party lines have been drawn in the
committees on the bills in which the fed
Grafton people are interested but men have
aligned themselves according TO their con-
victions II is not easy TO see, therefore,
where the republicans will be hit any
harder than the democrats In the coming
onslaught of the labor folk in the congress
siOnal campaign.
From the remarks of President Comp
ers, quoted yesterday in The Star, politi-
clans were inclined to think last night that
the labor forces will strike right and left
among candidates wherever they think
they find a man who is not with them.
President Gompers' plan is Interpreted to
be to question candidates and have them
commit themselves in advance upon the
respective measures OF legislation the ted-
Grafton has al heart,
the fight Will not be confined to mem
bers of the committee on labor of the
House, but will involve members of several
large committees who may be up for re-
election and consequently In line for fur
ther service on those committees. The
committee on the judiciary has the anti
injunction bill, the committee on interstate
and foreign commerce the amendments to
the navigation laws, the committee on mer-
chant marine and fisheries the subsidy bill,
the committee on immigration the immi-
grafton laws; the committee on foreign af-
fairs the Chinese exclusion act and so on.
A very interesting situation is likely 10
arise. Speaker Cannon made II very clear
10 President Gompers and his committee
when they called on him last week that
he would not consent 10 organizing any
committee Of the House in behalf of or
against any particular interest or cOmbi-
nation of interests, and II remains to be
seen how successful the labor leaders will
be IN pledging individual members of the
House In advance TO such organization.
Speaker Cannon Indorsed.
Speaker Cannon's frank remarks to the
visiting delegation were widely indorsed by
men OF both parties in the House, and
. lg oF he
the members OF the House during the week
as 1t was thought that the Federation OF
Labor was getting ready to make foray
into politics. The action of the executive
council therefore did not come as a great
surprise. although politicians noted with In
terest the exceedingly frank language IN
which President Gompers announced the In
tentiou OF his organization 10 go after
the candidates.
1t was admitted by politicians last night
that the time IS very propitious from Presi-
dent Gompers' viewpoint for an essay into
politics The congressional campaign is al
hand. with the outcome admittedly in doubt
between the two parties In many districts
the labor vote is the balance of power, and
II is assumed TO be the program of the lead
trs 70 cast that vote not on partisan grounds
but FOR individual candidates according tC
the lelnings In behalf Of the labor iegisla-
ton.
one result may be the nomination OF
labor ticket In the Industrial districts, which
viii COmplicate the situation for both demo.
Gratis and republicans 1t is thought thai
this Will surely be done in some districts
where candidates OF the regular parties vii
resent efforts to bind them. II Is assumed
that the labor candidates Will poll the float
ing socialist vote and that. with the norma
labor vote. will present condition rathel
difficult for the campaign managers TO dea
with
If there is a coal strike in the spring anC
this labor movement takes definite form tn
republican and democratic managers viii
have pretty kettle of fish In New England
New York. New Jersey. Pennsylvania. In
diana and Illinois. the states where the con
test for control OF the House will have I,
he made.