The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-08-05
LABOR POLITICS IN INDIANA.
NEITHER PARTY ANXIOUS FOR
AN OPEN ALLIANCE.

the Business Mems Vote would he Ar.
rayed Against Him Instances In tho
Past That Mak Party Leaders Shy
INDIANAPOLIS, Aug. III the reports
now coming In from th, strong labor centres
In Indiana indicate the lines along which
the campaign for the election Of Congress-
men La TO be conducted, the effect OF the
entrance OF organized labor into politics
as a body will be to solidify the business
element against It's candidates and there
will be no certainty that there will be q
corresponding qualification OF the labor
vote for them, even In the districts where
a practically solid labor vote might prove
very dangerous TO the majority party.
So evident has this become that local
leaders Of both parties are already denying
that they are encouraging or In any way
abettlng the movement. and IL seems prob
able that, II either party seeks to profit
from organized labor's vote this fall, 1t Will
be by a secret alliance and with the under
standing that support OF Its candidates
must not be openly avowed.
A oanvass among leading Democrats
In districts where they might be expected
to favor an Endorsement OF their candi-
dates by organized labor and among Re-
publicans in other districts by local labor
leaders has convinced them that they will
not be asked to take part In the campaign
either on the stump or by being made MEM
bers of the campaign committees. Some
Of them have been informed that their
support Of certain candidates Is desired,
but In the main they have been told that
the party could not afford to make a labor
n-Lk --l ,LtlA A1nt. AAatotAnzA uNttlH ha
acceptable It could only be received as
that Of individuals and not as an organiza-
ton Of laboring men.
So pronounced 10 this sentiment both
among Democrats and Republicans that
many Of the local labor leaders have be-
come disguised and some Of them, 1t Ii
said. will not take any part In the cam
paign. The Republicans understand that
tho alleged labor movement In Indiana is
aimed against them, and they would be only
too glad to have the Democrats openly avow
an alliance with the leaders Of the unions.
They know that John Mitchell, presi-
dent Of the United Mine Workers; w. B..
Wilson, secretary; 8. NJ. Sexton, editor
Of tho organizations journal, and other
officers Of labor organizations whose head
quarters are in this city are all Democrats.
and that President Gompers Of the Ameri-
can Federation Of Labor has singled out
Republicans only to be opposed in Indiana
by organized labor. The Democrats feel
that the very fact that the laboring classes
are being appealed to in some districts
to vote against Republican candidates
for Congress will put them on the defensive,
and this 10 especially true in the First and
Fifth districts, where the coal mining vote
Is very heavy and In the Sixth, Seventh
and Eighth districts. where there are q
number Of manufacturing cities and neces-
sarily a large organized labor vote.
In the other districts, mainly agrioul-
tural, Their. Is a strong prejudice agai inst
organized labor. Two years ago the farm
hands In a number Of counties were organ
lied under the jurisdiction Of the American
Federation, and any suggestion Of this
class voting solidly for one party would
be certain to array the farmers and UNI
organized farm laborers against the nomi-
nees it supports.
The Republican leaders say they would
encourage rather than discourage a cam
paign with the Democrats and laboring
Glasses allied, for il organized labor be-
comes a factor in the campaign the Repub-
ilCdiIo Wouia NO puio Sdily al u W ILLS
they now control and, possibly, two that
are now represented by Democrats. They
assert with much truth that past expert
ences show that the labor vote does not
hang together on election day, no matter
what may be said during the campaign,
and the suggestion Of its undivided support
Of q candidate always arrays other and
more influential forces against him.
They have always oontended that the
fight made against Harrison by the laboring
classes in 1883 gave him the State. for Demo-
Gratis rallied to his support although they
would not have done 80 had the campaign
been conducted upon other lines.
The Democrats themselves have had
some object lessons In connection with
labor alliances that are far from reassur-
ing, and it is these that make them averse
to the open Endorsement Of their candidates
by organized labor as a body.
Several years ago Frank Burke, who had
been a State Senator and later United States
District Attorney for Indiana under Cleve-
lands Administ ration. was nominated for
Congress in this district. Organized labor
was bitterly opposed to him on account
OF his opposition to certain measures while
in the Senate.
In ord er to curry favor with labor and
dull the oppos ition to Burke the Demo-
Gratis placed John Blue, president OF the
Central Labor Union, on their legislative
ticket. Thus the candidate for Congress
who was being fought by organized labor,
and the officer Of the central or controlling
body Of the unions were On the same ballot
to be voted for at the general election.
w hen the vote was counted II was found
that Blu rke had polled more votes in this
county than Blue, showing conclusively
that organized labor's opposition was
strength to It's enemy and Its support weak
ness to Its friend. With this and kindred
incidents fresh In their memory, leading
Democrats arc not rushing into alliances
with organized labor, but rather backing
away In doubt as to their expediepcy.
One Of the large contractors Of thiI city,
speaking on this subject, said:
sOrganized labor carries q weight into
politics that no party q afford to have
saddled upon It. The union Is overbearing
In ito business relati n and exceedingly
unpopular with employers. We have to
make many concessions for peace, and II
the union were In power politically as II is
In some places commercially, hell would be
to pay.