The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1908-07-29
THE LABORING MANS VOTE.

Let us give due allowance to the
facts that Henry White. a "labor
leader so called, formerly general
secretary of the United Garment
Workers of America and prominent
writer on the subjects connected with
wage-workers, is no longer on q
friendly footing with President
Samuel Gompers and has been *
PEELED from the American Federation
of Labor. ut he must nevertheless be
credited with the possession of eN-
ceptional facilities for cleaning in
formation about the labor vote and
with a large measure of political
common sense and judgement when
he says this.
"Gompers is playing bold hand,
and the stakes are pretty big. but |
am afraid that show down will once
more prove, and in way that will
be most convincing, that the labor
vote cannot be delivered by any
! body. So long as the voting power Of
the unions remains menace, an
unknown quantity, many concessions
can be forced from the powers that
be. as has been shown; but whenever
/ this voting power has been measured,
whenever the leaders have had to
stand up and be counted, the result
has been farcical.
This was the case two years ago,
when Gompers and his lieutenants
started out to scalp Cannon. Little
field and Others. Why, Gompers him
self was a candidate on the Labor
and Republican ticket in this city for
delegate 10 the constitutional eonyeu-
ton not so long ago, and he barely
got the regular Republican Vote
The fact is that union people thihN
about the same way as other people
do Because a man is a member Of
the union for trade benefits. he docs
not hand over his right TO judge
political questions TO any one who
happens 10 be al The head especially
when as i'm this case, it is SO manifest
that the federation chiefs are seek
Ing political power
Never was there a more audacious
attempt TO corral the vote of organi2-
ed labor 20 further the fortunes Of a
ring which has dominated the union
movement for decade or more.
If is almost au Insult to an intelU
gent independent and right thinking
man who Is member of a labo.
union and the rank and file Of
organized labor Is of that class -tl
assume that he viii VOTE the presi
Dental ticket of one or another party
according to the extent to which Rs
platform holds out q special bait ia
him. Ninety-nine out of every ont
hundred workinemen have political
convictions long before they Join a
labor union. and these convictions rs
a general thing remain with then
despite the labor planks' of any
party either in national, state. district
county or town elections Take ql
most any intelligent boy Of seventies
years of age or thereahouts anf
sound him cautiously on matter
political. and he will be found II
hold notions either Republican u
( Democratic, and when he becomes
voter these ideas will Inevitably Is.
reflected in his ballot at the polls j
he is . Democrat. whether hv inheri
tanee or by instinct or BY prediction
or bv logic. he viii vote the Demo
cratic ticket: and if he is f. RenuhN
can 20 "labor-plauk' hai' o. th
lopposins nolitieal party can allur
him away from his natural allegiance
The labor vote" IS a INVITA- d.
fusion "of the first water" q hollow
mockerv And IL is refreshing an
reassuring to have professions
labor man" admit the fact.-Nev
York Commercial