West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1906-09-20
OUR washington LETTER.
The Union Labor Fight Against the
Republicans in Maine.
THE UNITED STATES PREPARED FOR
TROUBLE IN CUBA AGAIN.
The New Neat Inspection Bill in
Effect October 1st, and a short
age OF Meat Expected.

WAsHINGTON, ID. c. Sept. IL
1t is TO be hoped that both the
regular Republicans and the Nation
al labor leaders are as we'll pleased
with the outcome in Maine as they
both profess themselves to be.
President Gompers has disgorged
himself of interviews and has written
to his Lieutenants here IN Washing
ton, saying that the result of the
M in eelection and the cutting down
OF Representative Little6eld's plu-
rallty to scant thousand, was a
great victory to the Union labor
and ought to be thoroughly salts
factory 10 the friends of the lab ,r
movement in politics. Ga the
other hand, James s. Sherman of
New York, Chairman of the Re .
publican Congressional Committee,
blew into Washington this week
and with a smile that may or may
not have been forced, assured all
inquiries that the outcome Of the
Maine election was better than any
body could have hoped for and
proved positive that there was moth
ing in the political labor movement.
Disinterested auditors can take these
two statements for what ;hey are
worth. Mr.. Sherman said that
Gompers had forty able Lleulenants
making a house to house canvas
through Litllefeld's district and that
total result of their efforts, was to
scale down the Republicans plu.
rality barely 500 votes. Mr.
Sherman said that they did Little
field more good than harm.
Now hsrkcn to Gompcrs. He
says; 1--WE have won a great moral
victory. Ii has been demonstrated
that Union men can stand together
on the political as well as on the
industrial field. 1t is proved that
Lit,lefeld has been reelected but
his great majority has been slashed
to- pieces and few more adverse
votes would have consigned him to
oblivion. The industrial centers
administered a stingineg rebuke
to Littlefield, and in every section
where the Unions had any strength
he met with crushing defeat.
"Maine is probably the weakest
Union state IN the country, but the
result of this contest shows conclu-
sively what will happen to the op-
ponents of organized labor in dis
tricts where men are more thorough
ly organized"
There is being much ado made
over the situation in Cuba and
especially stress is being laid In
many quarters on the action of the
State and May Department in or
dering warships to Cuba. AS a
matter of face it is merely a policy
of preparation against emergencies,
which may never, and it is hoped,
will never arise. One Washington
ian Mr.. III. J.. Browne, who return
ed from Cuba this week, says that
the whole insurrectlon is a paper
concern and that one troop OF
American cavalry could ride through
the island from end to end and
chase all the RevoIutionisis into the
hills. lie explained in the course
Of an interview, there is a good deal
of popular discomfort IN Cuba over
the unjust apportionment Of taxes,
and the lack of consideration that
is shown to industries by the Cub an
government Al the same time nC
says that actual forces OF the in
sursents have been very largely
overestimated and that even those
now in the field arc almost wholly
unequipped with FIRE arms
The activity of this Government
does not foreshadow actual inter
vention so much as it does mora
support TO the existing government
and purpose to protest the immcns,
American interests in Cuba /
is not realized by most people ina
millions Of dollars in American
money are invested in plantations
sugar factories and fruit and stocl
ranches al over The island and tas
there is a great and growing Ancfi
Can population, whose interest
must be protected AZ the sam,
time the large American dnanois
interests 10 the island would depfe
cate armed intervention owing {,
their fear that the insurgents nigh
make reprisal and burn Amcrical
property outside Of the big towns
As the case stands, there are no,
enough American warships aroun
Cuba to blow almost any sort o