The Hawaiian gazette., 1908-04-10

4
Protest Conference II caused some
colsssrnstion among the Republicans,
members OF whose party were chiefly
ass4iIed- The Federation openly pro-
Scribsd 4 few Republican representa-
tives. Speaker Cannon and Mr.. Little
field OF Maine being particularly in the
Fsdsratiou's disfavor. The Federat-on's
campaign. however. was discredited in
nearly every quarter. They made .
bitter warfare on MI LttIsfsld. in the
second Maine district Leading labor
men were sent into the district to urge
his defeat II has been claimed that
the labor campaign helped Mr.. Little
field more than il hurt him aai some
hsve gone 50 far as TO assert that II
organized labor had kept out Of his
district he would have been defeated
from other causes,
That trial OF strength came in 4 Sep
tsm5sr s.yction. bu, the labor leaders
pushed on into numerous other dis
tricts. including Speaker Cannon's. The
Efforts there were futile Speaker Can
non laughed in the faces OF his organ
ized labor toemen. Throughout the
country there were like results and.
and as far as one could tell. the labor
people were no where successful in de-
featiug the candidates they had marked
As their enemies
Ever since that campaign very many
Raprsssatltiyes in Congress have con-
tended tha, the labor vote IS something
OF ! bossy zuy way and that few can
didates s0r Office need fear any hostile
prouunciamelt0es from the American
Federation The officers or the Repub-
lean Congressional Committee have
argued that somewhere from seventy
five @ ninety per cent Ot organized
labor votes against the party always
and. that except in a few localities.
Republicans have iittls 10 fear from
this class OF voters, whereas labor
threats agains, Democratic clndldates
might Be very much more serious.
But these Republican officials have
based their arguments on prosperity
conditions This year they would have
felt much more confident II good times
we're prevailing and the employment OF
labor Vas generally assured. They say
that labor people are much more con-
csruat about the full dinner pan than
about the troubles Of their special
agents and representatives In securing
e. afe -hFrf- l. - Al
ti1u ~ washington. In the campaigns
OF the last ten years. the Republican
managers. however. have ever been
alert q prevent any big strikes before
election They wanted 10 malcontents
in the ranks o., labor. who would be
irritatet because the weekly wages
we're not coming in with what Repre-
sentative John Allen. % Mississippi.
used TO describe as powerful regular
ity."
Hence the calculations on continued
support from a tenth or a quarter 0f
the labor vote. which has usually been
Republican. may go away In this year
% changed conditions In times %
stress lnfutsrialiy there ls 4 very large
contingent II n0n-uni0n labor In the
Industrial centers which has a tisp0si-
ton q sympathize with the demands
% the American Federation. It's ten
tsncy In this hard times year. when
mills and factories are closing down
or running on short schedule. vii be
% take up the cause of the American
FEDERATION and % swell the chorus %
ffsa pprovaL The army % ifle men IN
the country probably numbers now
million men and as an incident % the
presidential campaign T. looks very for
mIfable % the Republican managers.
There has been a striking parallel
between general political conditions
ana political results IN this country
and in Great Britain for many years
That t. not giving the Republican stu
dents % affairs any comfort al present
A couple q years ago the labor fac
tons in Great Britain allied themselves
Eith the minority party and most
unexpected defeat for the d0mii ant
rarty ensued. II does not follow that
the same thing IL going 70 happen in
the United States next November.
Seithar does the possibility u such an
outcome make the dominant leaders
here fee az all easy.