New-York tribune., 1908-05-11
TO ENTER CAMPAIGN
MANUFACTURERS ROUSED.
National Association WiU Fight
Labor for President.

James W Van Cleave. president of the National
Association of Manufacturers arrived in this city
yesterday from ST. Louis TO arrange the detals
for the annual convention Of the association, which
Is TO be held the Waldorf May IS, 1S and 20
Spurred by the attitude OF President Roosevelt
toward pro-Iahor legislation and the activity OF
the American Federation of Labor at Washington
the association. which includes three Thousand
members. representing combined capital OF So'-
ooo oooooo. decided WELD its influence in the
coming Presidential campaign. Mr.. Van CieaFe
said evening that the association would weigh
carefully the attitude of President Roosevelt and
that Secretary Taft would stand a good chance or
defeating William J. Bryan as its choice for the
Presidency. 1t would throw its influence against
all demagogues. he said
Another member OF the association SAID thal the
members might find necessary to oppose with all
their power the further injury to their interests
and II necessary, change their allegiance from
the Republican party and to make vigorous cam
pagn in every Congress district Several prominent
men have promised to attend the convention ana
discuss the labor question with the manufacturers.
especially with regard TO the rights Of boycott and
Injunction. These persons include Senator BeV-
eridge of Indiana: ex-Congressman Littlefield, OF
Maine and Governor Fort Of New Jersey.
Mr.. Van CIeave took Samuel Gompers to task
his threats before the Judiciary Committee of
Congress If it did not grant abor's demands H.
he said, ''n getting actively into politics we ma
ourselves compelled temporarily to oppose pubic
men whom we favored under different conditions
and whom still respect, then SO much the worse
for those men.
BY a bill before Congress- continued MI
Van Cleave the labor union bosses seek to
legalize the boycott and thus to give privileges and
inlmunittes to the labor trust which are denied to
the Industrial the commercial, the transportation
and all sorts Of trusts
Employers must fight this class legislation and
must begin the fight now, and not next week or
next year. They must fight st, not because 1t
grants special favors the labor trust, but be
cause against the granting os special favors
TO any particular interest or to any element or
the population.
Tho general public. and even Presidential can
didates, have an exaggerated notion of organized
labor's voting strength. We have in this country
32. 0sto0O wage earners. of whom 153S,9l0 are en-
rolled in the American Federation of Labor. But
these include women and children and aliens as
well voters. Besides, many work and live in
Canada You could probably cut these official
figures about !. Ice 900 100000. OF the total
100000 votes to be cast for President organized
labor could furnish perhaps 5o9N But history
proves that % per cent Of these viii be cast tor
the other OF the two national parties, ac-
cording individual convictions, and not accord
ing the dictates of labor leaders. The failure of
organized labor to overthrow either Mr. LittleeId
or Mr. Cannon proved its helplessness in politics.
AIr. Van Cleave will attend the opening of the
Governors conference in Washington called Tor
this week by President Roosevelt discuss the
which he is an invited delegate From Washing
ton he will bring number of Governors and eX-
perts who will address the manufacturers on the
same problem
Among the topics 10 he considered by the man
ufacturers Will be tariff legislation merchant ma
rine and prosperity A feature. also, is the sched-
uled address Of Wu Ting-fang. Minister from
China, who Will talk on American Industries and
Chinese Trade" He is expected TO touch on the
Chinese-Japanese boycott question.
Mr.. Van Cleave denied that the convention in
tended as charged by Samuel Gompers, TO crush
the unions.
With organized labor" he said, we have no
quarrel. We have desire or Intention to disrupt
any labor organization. But the association VIII
undoubtedly maintain its unyieding opposition 10
boycott closed shop. sympathetic strike limitation
OF output, compulsory of the union label sac
Tifce of the independent workmen to the union.
restriction the OF tools machinery or
terials except such unsafe, and restric-
ton to the number Of apprentices and helpers
when of proper age"