Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1908-08-06
NOT A FLOCK OF SHEEP
Continued Resentment Over Pc.
litical Interference---Work.
ingmen say Taft Will get his
Share.

ingmen say Taft Will get his
Share.
| Especial Correspondence OF the REPORTER.
Labor unions are run by the men
who get paid for running them-there
are no proofs to the contrary. This
places large power over craft condi-
tions unquestionably in the hands of
few leaders. They can call strike
or declare it off. They can dictate
both to employee or employer at will.
The head of the American Federation
Of Labor has been long while turn
ing his forces directly into a presi-
DENTAL campaign, but now that he
has opened fire he certainly attempts
to hit hard.
Persons closely in touch with union
elements and sentiment find to-day
that the appeal to labor to vote con-
certedly for the Democratic ticket is
encountering earnest opposition with
in the ranks of Gompers' following.
Unionism is one thing; the right of
free suffrage is quite another business.
In order that the great institution
OF labor shall not be misunderstood or
misrepresented before the country by
overzealous leaders seeking an issue,
open protest is breaking out from
all quarters against ''orders" or
veiled dictation concerning choice of
party candidates. There are Taft
men, Bryan men, Hearst men, Wat
son men and all manner of political
freebhinkers In camp that refuse to
be delivered.
The largest claims of the most ar
dent supporters of organized labor set
forth that there are three million
men in America paying dues in labor
unions Accepting these figures off
hand as accurate in round numbers,
it is sufficiently apparent that this
body represents only very small pro-
portion of the total laboring class in
the United States.
Prominent labor officials, in pub
l:shed statements, insist that less
uilan one-fifth of the members of or
ganized crafts can be lead unreservedly
to do Mr. Gompers' bidding at the
political ballot box. This reduces the
original roll to 100000. At least cal
culation one-half the latter number
are normally Democrats anyhow, so
that it looks as if 300, 900 votes is the
actual working basis to begin reckon
ing with as controlled" factor in
the labor issue. The noise is already
reduced nine-tenths.
The one-t..Rth controlled" repre-
sents broken force, scattered over
the country in large and small squads,
we'll mixed with other influences to
offset any massing strength.
Now let the national chairmen or
their chief political statisticians
tell US just how much of an engine
this one-tenth combination will be-
come for the destruction of the Taft
personal in our next electoral college.
LABOR STAMPEDE UNLIKELY.
The Washington Star sent a cor
respondent TO Baltimore to make in
vestigation into claim by the FEEDER
alton of Labor that it's organization
will vote as one man for the Demo-
cratic ticket in that city.
Published report of the cores
pondent states that he talked with a
number of the members of the feder-
alton, both Republicans and Demo-
Gratis. with the result that it can be
put down as pretty sure thing that
the republicans will vote for Taft and
the Democrats for Bryan.
Among many of the union working
men in Baltimore there is feeling of
resentment against Samuel Gompers,
who, they claim, assumes too much
when he endeavors to deliver the en-
tire Labor vote of the country TO
Bryan.
'One would imagine from the talk
of Gompers that the laboring men are
flock of sheep and can be driven at
will into the Republican or Demo
cratic party said one well-known
labor leader.
'Such is not the case, however.
The majority of the workingmen of
today are fully able to decide for
themselves just how they shall cast
their ballots, and 1 know hundreds of
union men whom Gompers cannot in
fluence in the slightest in so far as
their political preferences are con-
cerned. The attempt ON the part of
Gompers to turn the 5000, 900 votes OF
the American Federation of Labor
over to Bryan will fall fiat, and unless
l am very much mistaken the result
this fall will cost Gompers much OF
the prestige he now enjoys among the
laboring men of the United States. 1
am Democrat in politics, but never
theless do not like the idea of
national or state officer of a labor or
ganization assuming to control the
vote of the workingmen.
There is said to be very little likeli-
hood of a labor stampede for Mr..
Bryan in Maryland.
The New Colorado Special Electric Lighted.
II eayeS Chicapo dailv 1000 A. M for