Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-10
TO WIN LAB0R'S VOTE
The President Personally d.
recting Campaign Work.
MOST VULNERABLE POINT
Railway Men Reported to Be In
clined Toward Bryan.
WILLIS MOORE'S INQUIRIES
MOST VULNERABLE POINT
WILLIS Mo0RE's INQUIRIES
Declares That He Finds a Strong
Tendency Among Leaders to Break
Away From the Democrats.

! est sort or ngtt TO OeneCt the laDOE NOte
| to Taft. They fully recognize that their
| greatest weakness in the campaign is the
attitude OF labor. Not only is the Presi-
| dent personally comforting with labor
| leaders and writing to others who commu-
! nicate with him, but. he is personally di-
recting a part Of the program to turn
labor to the republican ticket. Ten days
ago he talked with three of the great
! labor leaders of the country-Warren
Stone. grand chief of the locomotive en-
gineers; P. II. Morrissey of the Brother
hood of Trainmen and Daniel Keef OF the
Lcngshoremen's Union. The conference
| with Stone was just a day or SO In ad-
vance Of the annual gathering of the loco
| motive engineers at Columbus. and Stone
went from here to the meeting. Reports
indicate that railroad men are especially
inclined to Bryan.
Yesterday the President talked twice
with James B. Reynolds. one of his spe-
cial investigators on different topics.
Reynolds. who has been hard at work
beginning to change their views as to
whom they will support. Today the
President conferred with Willis Moore.
head OF the weather bureau, and for
leaders. particularly the printers. to
whose union he once belonged. Mr..
Moore has been in communication with
many of the leaders and he declared he
finds a strong tendency to break away
from Bryan and go to Taft, under the
belief that work will be better under
republican administration than a demo-
cratic one.
Labor Leaders Disagree.
Mr.. Moore made public part of letter
he has received from James Duncan. first
| vico of a Fedora finn
Of Labor, and secretary-treasurer of the
Granite Cutters International Union. He
had shown the letter to the President.
The part he made public follows:
LAS to announcing how / shall vote,
however, I differ both from President
Gompers and Vice President keefe on the
advisability Of doing SO. I think both are
leading statements. when given out OIL
cially. and have but the additional ap-
pearance Of partisanship or effort at CO.
ercing labor votes. l adhere to my orig
inal idea and position that how any one
votes must be matter OF conscience by
the individual as to the general good.
The object of making public the letter
Is evidently to show that the officers of
the American Federation of Labor are by
no means united upon the policy OF Presl-
dent Gompers Of throwing the organiza-
ton into politics and that Mr.. Duncan be-
lieves labor men will vote their individual
preferences. the same as in the past. Any
internal divisions and discord among the
leaders of the federation would lead to
inability to hold the labor men in line.
Labor Men Grateful.
President Roosevelt a few days ago
approved an order giving weekly pay
days to navy yards and arsenals in the
future instead Of semi-monthly. as be-
fore this He has received several let
ters of praise from labor men for this
action on his part. One OF these was
given out today. 1t came from George
L. Cain of Charlestown, Mass. president
of the National League OF Employees OF
Navy Yards, Naval Stations. Arsenals
and Gun Factories Of the United States.
After thanking the President for what
confer a benefit on workmen In navy
yards Mr.. Cain says:
And in this connection let me state
to you, sir, that organized labor In the
employ Of the government has received
more consideration at the hands or the
present administration than any preced
ing one Not alone in the matter of
weekly pay have the government me-
chanics felt that you have been their
good friend, but the Saturday half-holi-
day with pay and other concessions
will always keep us deeply obligated to
you for your Kindness.
Dover's Says Outlook Is Better.
republican national committee. but now
connected with the advisory committee
of the organization. had a long chat with
President Roosevelt this morning Mt
Dover notes improvement all along the
line from republican point of view
and he is especially pleased with the in
crease in contributions for campaign pur-
poses
I'm New York and Ohio the outlook is
much better than 1t was. The result
cannot be doubted by anybody. Repub-
licans are beginning to come forward from
| sure the carrying out of plans for victory.
A few days ago Treasurer Sheldon sent
out 22.OOO letters to republicans asking
| for so contributions. The last of these
| letters went out Wednesday night. Thurs
| day there were over one hundred replies.
| with checks enclosed. / have no doubt
| the responses will be splendid all along
| the line. 1t is an interesting fact that
the individual subscriptions greatly ex-
| ceed the number in any other year in the
history of the party
Mr.. Dover said that so per cent of the
total campaign contributions to the re-
publican party come from the five big
cities Of New York, Chicago, Philadel-
phia, Pittsburg and Boston.
Wight Pleased With Prospects.
Pearl Wight. republican national COM
mitteeman from Louisiana, is pleased
| with the improved outlook. He has been
in New York for some time. giving what
ever aid he could to the national COM
mittee. He will return there today. Mr.
! Wight has business correspondents in all
sections of the country. After seeing the
President today he commented upon the
| outlook as follows: My correspondents
in the west write me that the states
| spoken of there as doubtful aIe not to be
put in that class, but that they are for
Taft. AS to New York. 1 am glad to say
there has been a decided improvement
| Two weeks ago 1t didn't look as we'll over
| there as 1t does now. AS I see it. Taft
will get $4,000 majority in New York
Mr.. Perkins on New York.
Representative Perkins is another man
| who Is not disturbed as to New York
He. too. talked with the PRESIDENT to-
| day and to newspaper men afterward.
| He was with State Senator Armstrong of