The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-24
Labor and Politics.

I,hk The Hon. SAMUEL GoMPERs and the
u executive councillors of the American
ftgasderation of Labor are not satisfied
q yvaththe remarks of Mr.. ROOSEVELT and
n Mr. CANNON on the federation's bill OF
Grievances" Mr.. GoMpERs and his
I Brother legislators gave Congress fair
notice in that bill. If Congress will not
!, ,dosas they order, they told it, then they
were going to appeal to the people. Ac-
ri cording to a Washington despatch to
kRTHE Sun, Mr.. GoMPERs hoped the
Yfgffurts Of the great industrial army
il,Would not be underestimated, for, Mr..
GoMPERs declared, the representatives
nc Of organized labor want results, or they
vii know the reason why"
5hlS According to another Washington
I despatch, Mr.. GoMPERs that if
Congress is not obedient the Federation
VI of Labor will enter the field OF politics
and urge organized labor to elect men OF
Their own choosing"
This terrible threat will not be apt to
! alarm anybody. Mystery and vague
ness are the powers of the so-called
n Slabor vote" In every important cleo
A.&ion slabor leaders" of more or less myth
cal organizations strut their little hour
and get on the payrolls. A great amount
J of padding is suspected, even in the case
{, of some actual organizations. Many OF
them are numerous; and their COM
u bined political power might be consider
/ able; but they are composed, and prop
| verify, Of men of different parties. So
AZ long as they can impress both great
Il political parties with a fear of labor
r influence and action they are all right.
AS a separate factor at the polls labor"
,9ahas never cut much of a figure. The
moment it was counted its weakness was
!ysgytdent. o.,
Since, however, organized labor has
4 Special p~retensions, claims special privi-
1Aeges and differentiates itself sharply
asfrpm the great mass of unlabelled and
1&uon-union citizens, why should it not
\ try its hand as a political party? If the
Goftb6r leaders have their bill of griev-
4bances, the "scabs" have also theirs. Is
it not about time for President GoMPERs
to assert.that this nation cannot remain
half union and half "scab"?
The great and fourishing state Of the
" l6DOT party III picdI l'lllohi Sduho 10
lost upon labor leaders here. If they
1 3rHnnot dictate to Congress and the
president, why should they not seek to
4 have a labor President and a labor
Congress? Whatever they can get by
fair and legal means they deserve. II
/ fthayshave the voting strength to run the
United States let them run them, and,
anyway, they are welcome to try. While
N really responsible separate powerful
labor party seems unlikely, it might be
1 lsagood- thing. 1t might stop or make
.fruitless a lot Of time serving and dema-
goguery IN the part Of Republican and
Democratic politicians. Politics is in
labor, and up to the neck. The frequent
actual or threatened injection of politics
into so many strikes is no agreeable
phenomenon to business or conservative
men. And the labor leaders themselves
could hardly fail to be benefited, sobered,
enlarged in view, by the responsibility
Sof separate political action and the
necessity of avoiding violent and fanati-