The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-04-09

period Of general financial and indus
trial depression, have already begun.
There are many experienced labor off,
Gals in the government service, who
have been saying to the President and
others for quite a time, that there
would be unprecedented opposition to
these efforts from the ranks of the
toilers. Until the Supreme Court de-
cided several cases adversely to them,
the labor leaders We're confident they
could meet such a condition and make
their fights from entrenched positions.
They We're giving little attention to
politics and thinking little about using
their votes as a weapon for their own
protection. But the court decisions
gave capital a great advantage IN any
struggle with labor, which fact has in
jected labor questions into current ma
tional politics. The leaders of the
dominant party are worried. They fear
to grant concessions lest they ALLEVIATE
the support of a great industrial fol-
lowing, and they fear to refuse con-
cessions, because they do not care to
enter the campaign with the pro-
nounced hostility of organized labor,
even though it be more or less uncer,
tain how much influence the labor
voters could WELD against them in an
election.
A few lines, printed in very black
type in the labor statement, have add
ed to the state of terror among the
politicians. 1--WE now call upon the
workers of our common country these
lines in heavy black type run, ito stand
faithfully by our friends, oppose and
defeat our enemies, whether they be
candidates for President, for Congress,
or other Offices
Two years ago a somewhat similar
campaign Of opposition to Congress
men was begun vigorously by the
American Federation of Labor, which
has a membership of something like
0ycUV,uUV anu WHICH ID AAO0 0OA4ho t1AS
Protest Conference. It caused some
among the Republicans,
members of whose party were chiefly
assailed. The Federation openly pro-
scribed a few Republican representa-
tives. Speaker Cannon and Mr.. Little
field of Maine being particularly in the
disfavor. The Federat:on's
however, was dfscredited in
nearly every quarter. They made
bitter warfare on Mr.. Littlefield, in the
second Maine district. Leading labor
men were sent into the district to urge
his defeat. 1t has been claimed that
the labor campaign helped Mr.. Little
field more than it hurt him and some
have gone SO far as to assert that if
labor had kept out of his
district he would have been defeated
from other causes.
That trial of strength came in a Sep
TENDER election, but the labor leaders
pushed on into numerous other dis
riots, including Speaker Cannon's. The
Efforts there were futile. Speaker Can
non laughed in the faces of his organ
zed labor foemen. Throughout the
there were like results and, |
and as far as one could tell, the labor
people were no where successful in de-
eating the candidates they had marked
Is their enemies
Ever since that campaign very many |
ended that the labor vote is something |
If a DOGGY any way and that few can |
lidates for office need fear any hostile |
from the American |
Federation. The officers of the .Repub- |
lean Congressional Committee have |
Lrgued that somewhere from seventy |
i've to ninety per cent of organized |
abor votes against the party always
md, that except in a few localities,
republicans have little to fear from
his class of voters. whereas labor
hreats against Democratic candidates
night be very much more serious.
But these Republican officials have
ased their arguments on prosperity
onditions. This year they would have
cit much more confident if good times
7ere prevailing and the employment of
abor was generally assured. They say
hat labor people are much more con-
erned about the full dinner pail than
bout the troubles of their special
gents and representatives in securing
and eight-hour legislat
ion at Washington. In the campaigns
f the last ten years, the Republican
managers, however. have ever been
lert to prevent any big strikes before
lection. They wanted no malcontents
! the ranks of labor, who would be
'ritated because the weekly wages
ERE not coming in with what Repre-
John Allen, of Mississippi,
sed to describe as powerful regular
"
Hence the calculations on continued
lpport from a tenth or a quarter of
he labor vote which has usually been |
republican, may go away in this year
changed conditions In times of |
ress indutsrially there is very large
ontingent of non-union labor in the I
ldustrial centers which has DISPOSE