The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-08-06

10 give 1t some doses of orthodox ex-
hilaration.
Already the Republican leaders see
that there is to be great party rivalry
this year for the labor vote. Some of
| Mr.. Taft s best men were assigned two
or three weeks ago to give the labor
situation their most careful attention
and some very effective work is now
under way While agreeing fully with
the frequent reiteration that the labor
vote cannot be delivered these good
lieutenants say that a spirit of restless
ness is abroad. and that it is not wise
politics to overlook condition IN he
labor world, which, entirely ignored
| might develop into material reduction
Of November majorities. For instance,
there is John Mitchell, former president
of the Mine Workers Union, supposed
to be most influential with the hun
dreds of thousands of minersa in that
great belt of Republican States which
includes Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa.
! and Kansas. Those miners have been
voting the Republican ticket in Federal
elections for a number of years They
showed lukewarmness in spots two
years ago, and as a result a Republican
Congressman or two lost his job. Mr..
Mitchell, though Democrat, has been
very close to President Roosevelt, and
has been an advocate of Mr.. Roose-
velt's policies both during campaigns
and between campaigns. He has not
said yet that he feels friendly to Taft,
and in the little he has said has indi-
Gated leaning toward Bryan. If Mr..
Mitchell should decide to assume the
aggressive, the soft coal mining dis
tricts in the FIVE States mentioned would
take notice. 1t goes without saying
that the Republicans are already plan
ming to look after that big mining vote.
Young as the campaign is, it seems
now that it will not be a campaign of
abuse and invective, unless the Demo-
Gratis choose to make it that. Mr..
Hitchcock s visit to the Far West has
convinced him, so the word comes here,
that the Western people are impatient
of abuse of Bryan, just as they are of
abuse of Roosevelt. The Far Western
Democrats had most uncomfortable
half hour when Permanent Chairman
Clayton, of Alabama, delivered at Den
yer his address assailing the President
The outburst taught some Democrats a
lesson which they will not speedily for
cock has heard from his trans Missouri
allies, wants no Misunderstanding this
year.
A line regarding the recent Colorado
Springs conference, to the effect that
California is thought to be one of the
doubtful States, was received in Wash
ington political circles with incredulity.
1t now appears that the reason for it
is in some feeling of uncertainty about
the effect the Denver anti-Asiatic plank
will have. Twelve years ago the Cali
fornia voters gave the Republican party
the mitten, chiefly on account of the
snti-Chinese agitation. The Denver
plank was bid to the anti-Japanese
vote, which includes the all-powerful
labor unions in San Francisco and the
southern part OF the State. AS the
campaign progresses a concerted anti
japanese agitation is expected on the
Pacific Coast The Republicans plan to
do their utmost to head it off, lest,
should 1t take root, a Pacific Coast State
or two and an inter-mountain State or
two should WAIVER In its allegiance.
The Western Democrats have not yet
concluded their period of exuberance
over the Denver convention. While they
are throwing up their hats and hasten
ing to Fairview to extend congratula-
tions, the Republican managers have
been getting down to business. Manager
Hitchcock is at least two or three |
weeks in advance of the prospective
Bryan chairman in campaign prepare
tions The alacrity with which Mr..
Hitchcock announced plans for running |
his campaign from Chicago headquar-
tiers. after he had conferred with State
leaders at Colorado Springs, evidenced
not alone his convictions that there was
important work to do in the radical
West as his desire to gain the advantage |
which comes from early educational OPP
erations.
The East has figured very little in the |
thoughts of either the nominee or the
national chairman thus far. There are
several reasons for this, chief of which,
of course, is the practical certainty that
Bryan can carry no Eastern State. But
the Eastern States inaugurate their
later. They undertake IN
or early October what the
Middle West and Far West undertake
in July and August. Primaries for the
of State officials viii be held
in many Western States within the next