The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-07-29
LEAN PURSES FOR
DID PARTIES; BIG |.G|
FUND FOR LABOR.
Republicans and Democrats
Must Practice Economy =
.rr in Campaign. -.
Union Men Will Respond
Generously to Call
Of Gonpers. -
Labor's Advent Into Politi-
cal Arena Fails to Worry
Republicans. /.
New Party Expected to Cut
Wide Swath in Dems'
:. 49, - ~ go, .--
Strongholds.
BY w. w. Jermane.

WW r Ash lNGION, july lo.-1I IL
w to be big game Of "pass
the hat with both political
campaign committees this year, and the
outlook is not reassuring. On both
sides the campaign will be waged
with lean purses, and with a conse-
quent dearth of spectacular features.
The democrats tried the hat passing
business in 1896, when Bryan was max
ing his first run. and Chairman Jones
of the democratic national committee
put up poor mouth from the begin
ming Of the campaign to its end. His
party is organized, but not on the basis
of individual contributions from the
mass of voters. Similarly, the republi-
can party is organized, but also with
out reference to campaign contr1bu7A
tions. In both parties this organization
in the past has been rather on the:
theory of extracting money from the
committee treasures and not OF putting
money into them. .,-..
The railroads will be good, as usual,
and for the last time, since the antipass
law will go into effect with the new
year, spellbinders will 90 back and
forth thru the doubtful states, doing
Sheir work in the same old way. IS.
- Labor Passes Hat, Too.
Outside of passes on railroads, every
thing must be be paid, for in hard cash.
Even the better classes Of speakers.
and many not of these classes, are well
paid for their work They receive q
per diem, with all expenses. and COM
plain: .thruout the campaign of hard
work and small pay, - -. -: ;---~3@
: The new. labor party is also to . pass
The hat' this year, and the chances
are that it will have heavier purse
than either of the ord parties. proper
tionately to the work it will do and the
size of the field it will cover. Labor is.
organized. and on the basis Of centri-
buttons to common fund. President
Gompers Of the American Federation OF
Labor knows full we'll that when he
gets ready for money it will pour into
his hands. In every state in the field
of labor contest there will be liberal
contributions. Local unions all over
this field will, under the direction of
the state declarations, levy assessments
on individual members Of those unions,
which assessments must. be paid, or the
men will lose their cards. Mr. Gompers,
while; he has his worries, will not find a
shortage Of the sinews of war one Of
them E..
This money trouble, above referred
to, was discussed at length at the re-
cent Oyster Bay conference, and it was
agreed that the republicans would be in
rs good condition as the democrats,
and therefore able to meet them on an
equal footing. ..<....
:. Little Fear of Gompers. =, ~
The labor outlook was. also consid-
cred land it was the prevailing opinion
that, the labor campaign would amount
to nothing outside of two or three dis
tricts. Representative Littlefeld's case
was talked over, and the question was
raised as to whether it would be the
tactful thing for Speaker Cannon to go
into Maine to help -Litttlefeld. = The
speaker replied that he, too, was on the
labor blacklist. and. that he. couldn It
see that it made any difference wether
he went or not. He was strongly in
clined to 90, but it is understood In
Washington that the president advised
against it, and that the conference
closed without any coaeusion being
reached. s..,~. <~.7 - iz.:
So far as the republican campaign
of 1906 is concerned, Mr.. Cannon will
be its bright and particular star In
close districts, and in other districts as
well, his voice will be heard, and what
he says will be accepted as orthodox
party doctrine. It has been planned to
use him more widely in the campaign
this year than ever speaker has been
used by the republican organization
in the off year. The reason for this
is the earnest desire Of the republicans
to win the house in the face of theil
stand-pat declaration. They realize
that this declaration has given then
something of handicap, but the,
chose it deliberately as the lesser q
two evils. Revision, they figured, wa!
not to be thought OF. Besides, thu
record of The republican party, as evi
denced in the work Of the last session
of congress, could be relied upon tx
overcome this handicap. But at th
same time, there is an element ef ud