Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-08-01
The Labor Vote for Taft.


Taft elected President of the United
States. There is no more doubt of this
than there was in 1896 and 1860 that
the election of Mckinley was better for
the working man than the election of
Bryan would have been. He is the
same visionary and variable Bryan and
his candidacy is the same menace to
industry that it was then. 1t is only
because the election of Taft is so gen
orally conceded in advance that the
mills which were affected by last fdl's
panic are now resuming work on full
time and that d general feeling Of con-
fidence and courage prevails again in
business circles. The election Of Bryan
could mean nothing else than depres-
sion and panic, closing mills and lower
wages or no wages at all.
The intelligent masses of those
throughout the country who work for
day wages understand these things.
They know that Republican victories
and Republican policies mean national
prosperity and that Democracy stands
for calamity, closed factories and open
soup houses. This is why the great ma
jority of laboring men will vote Tor
TAFT rather than for Bryan in the fall
True, an eminent labor leader has
made d trade with Bryan, but he is
rapidly being made to realize that he
cannot deliver the goods" AS straw
to show which way the wind is blow
ing here are the results of the inves-
legations of correspondent of the New
York Globe in the cotton manufactur-
ing cities OF Massachusetts,. lie sums
up as follows:
While LABOR unions are quite strong
in Lowell, Lawrence and Salem. where
$4,000 hands are employed in cotton ana
wooden mills, fully half of that number
are non-union The union men refuse to
be dictated to as to their votes and are
turning their backs on Bryan by thou
sands. Onethird of the Democrats IN
Lowell will vote FOR Taft and many of
the remaining two-thirds will either
stay at home or vote for the Indepen
dence party. The workingmen Of Lowell
have no reason to put any confidence
in either Bryan or George Fred Will
liams, his Massachusetts manager.
"a poll of 1873 votes taken at noon
time at the Merrimack mill gates re-
suited in 121 for Taft, for Bryan, and
the rest undecided. Out of Al skilled
workmen at the corporation of Arthur
Lyman, the great Cleveland Demo-
crat, 40 are for Taft and one will vote
the Prohibition ticket. At the Hamil-
ton, Boote and, in fact, all other mills
there is an almost unanimous senti-
ment for Taft. Taft and prosperity IS
the cry in Lowell.
I'm Lawrence conditions are about
the same. a large percentage of Law
renee voters are French-Canadians,
either by birth or parentage. and they
are unit for the Republican ticket.
I'm Salem the assertions from the
Democratic party are by scores The
party is bankrupt here, no city, county,
or state headquarters, and rumor now
has it that the old line Democrats will
refuse to put up even enough money
tor headquarters rent.
Lynn can be truly called the home
of union shOenakers and no more
thrifty, Independent class of working
men and women can be found on earth.
Lynn is for Taft almost unanimously
Bryan will get some votes, but he will
be third man in the race. The old line
Democrats almost to a man are going
over to Taft. In Haverhll. Maiden,
Beverly, DanverS, and Peabody similar
conditions exist 1t is Taft; Taft every
where The big judge is looked upon
as the true friend of American ideas
and American working men. The at
tempt to take subscriptions for the
Bryan campaign committee in Lowell
resulted in a fiat failure.
1.-The Independence party will run
neck and neck with the Democrats all
over northeastern Massachusetts, with
good prospects of beating it out in
many places. Union labor is sore that
any one should attempt to handle it's
votes and non-union labor is still more
sore that the Democratic party has sur
rendered to union labor'S demands
"Of 1873 men employed in the Naum-
keag mil. at Salem 121 will vote for
Taft, the rest equally divided between
the Independence party and Democ-
racy.''