The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-10-26


American Federation of Labor against
President Gompers' policies. In this
they have been partially successful
They have persuaded Vice President
Daniel L. Keefe, who is president of
the International Longshoremen, Ma
rine and Transport Workers Associa-
ton to give out a statement of which
this is the keynote: ''We insist that
the labor movement shall remain as
free and independent from political dom
ination as it has ever been IN its
history"
This is calculated to help Mr.. Taft
materially in such important cities as
New York, where there are very large
land numerous labor organizations under
Mr. Keefe's jurisdiction. The Central
Labor body in New York City has de-
clared in favor of Mr.. Gompers
policies and has voted some money to
help in his compaign for Bryan, but
the Keefe declaration helps the Repub-
Leans to combat that declaration.
Then the President and Prof Moore
have persuaded Vice President Duncan,
Of the Federation, to make somewhat
similar statement to indicate that he
is not in full sympathy with what Mr..
Gompers is doing to swing the labor
vote to Bryan. He is president of the
laborers engaged in granite quarries the
country over. They have tried very
hard also to bring Vice President John
Mitchell into the open against Mr.
Gompers, as Mr.. Mitchell is conceded
to be the most influential labor man in
the country. next to Mr.. Gompers. The
strife fer Mr.. Mitchell s political favor
has been most intense and there have
been kilograms and declarations that
the same were forgeries about Mr.. Nit
chell' g true attitude.
Personal Friend of the President.
Of course Mr. Mitchell was long and
still is a personal friend of the Presi-
dent. He is now head of a Civic Fed
Grafton organization in New York,
where his duties are chiefly to further
the making of contracts between labor
men and their employers and also to
further arbitration of labor disputes.
Because of the Importance of that work
Mr. Mitchell does not like to engage in
active politics or take sides to vigor
ously, although early in September he
wrote letter, printed in the organ of
the Federation, expressing his sympathy
with the Gompers policies. The Repub-
licans, however, claim that Mr.. Nit
chell IS statement was by no means deci,
siye and that, although he is a Demo
crat and could have had the Democratic
nomination for Governor of Illinois, he
should stand with them and keep the
Federation from commisting itself unan-
imously to the Gompers program.
As the Gompers program of Sfremem-
bering our friends and defeating our
enemies was endorsed by the Execu
tive Council of the Federation, which
comprises the presiding officers of the
Federation and its vice presidents, a
division of sentiment among the vice
presidents would be a big stroke for
the Republicans. They appear to have |
made some Roadway in that direction. |
Once they can drive that wedge in they |
will have ground for making an effec |
tive appeal to the labor voters not to |
follow Gompers.
The President also has made consid |
cradle advance in winning over some |
of the officials of the various powerful |
railway organizations. nearly all of /
which are independent of the Fedora
ton Prominent officials of the Loco /
motive Engineers and Firemen have |
been called to Washington recently for |
and are reported TO have |
gone away, at least partially committed |
to the President IS requests that they |
should not participate actively in the
as officials. of labor organiza
tons. This is expected to have much |
weight with the railroad men in the
West, where the opposition to Mr.. |
Taft s injunction decision has been |
very pronounced.
Much Depends on This Work.
Much in the matter of voting results
depends upon this work the
Presidents has been and still is press
ing. That is always regarded as the
most effective way of campaigning
against an organized body of men.