The Washington times., 1908-01-19
ORGANIZED LABOR
SEEKS DELEGATION
IN j. S. CONGRESS
Wants to Make Itself a
Power in Campaign
This Year.
Leaders Are Not Inclined
to Look With Favor
on Taft.

Leaders of organized labor declare
their intention OF taking part in the
campaign Of this year IN the most thor
ough and effective fashion they have
ever participated. They say that or
ganized labor Will this year make self
felt as a great power in the political
field Of this country and that what was
done by labor in the 1906 campaign will
not be "a circumstance to the 1908 ac-
complishment. The 1905 campaign. they
say, was educational. largely for the
labor element.
j is not the purpose to form a sep
aratc labor party. That is, this is not
the line along which the leaders Of the
American Federation of Labor and its
affiliated organizations are proceeding
They have discerned the fact that the
labor vote can swing a tremendous in
fuerce in the United States II IT is in
dependent Of party lines entirely and is
cast for the candidates who are in
sympathy with the things organized
labor wants.
Activity Already Begun.
Activity on the part Of organized Ia
Dor with reference to the State. Con-
OCCASIONAL, and national campaigns has
/ begun already I'm practically every
State. Two years ago the labor lead
| ers paid little attention TO the elections.
They are going TO have a hand in the
! nomination OF men they want for can
1 didates for Congress
They are looking out for state legis-
/ Iaturcs and trying to see 10 1t that men
are named by both parties who are
friendly TO organized labor. BY getting
/ the men they want in legislatures they
lean have their interests protected when
/ fl comes to State legislation and when
+ it comes to the election of United States
/ Senators.
/ In the selection OF delegates 20 the
/ Republican national convention, the in
/ Rueuce Of organized labor viii be thrown
/ against Taft 10 a considerable extent
! but as things ere going now 1t seems
unlikely the labor forces can prevent
Taf.s nomination, BE- the labor lead
ers frankly say that If there is a con-
test al the polls between Taft and
Bryan, Bryan may be relied on 10 get
the organized labor vote.
at NOl Strengthened
Inquiry Of men high up in the Amer
lean Federation Of Labor whether Mr.
Taft has strengthened himself with or.
ganized labor by his Cooper Union
/ speech develops the answer that M
has not strengthened himself IN the
slightest degree and at the polls he may
expect the labor vote 70 be thrown
against him. Senator Knox IS looked
on with more favor by the labor leaders
/ than Mr.. Taft.
Senator Foraker has been trying t,
win labor votes. Speaker Cannon 4.
the man who has the bitterest opposi
ton of organized labor and would b,
more bitterly fought by labor than TAT
If he were nominated for President. II,
is charged with making up the Hous,
judiciary Committee so IL viii oppos,
anti-injunction legislation and with be
ing unremitting in his hostility 10 or
gained labor measures.
Members Of Congress will be not
little embarrassed by anti-iujunctioI
matters this winter. The bulk Of tn
Senators and Representatives will escap,
a great deal of embarrassment If tn
judiciary Committee keeps the anti
injunction bills bottled up. The friend
Of anti-injunction legislation have ac
cumulatcd evidence Of what they con
sider the abuse Of the injunction pOwe
by various judges. and they propose Z
! tpresent this 10 the judiciary Committee
when they have the opportunity.
After Judge Dayton.
One case that will be called 10 tn
attention of the committees with EN-
tphasis will be an injunction lately grant
ed by Judge Dayton. OF West Virginia
, formerly member Of Congress from tina
! State, now on the Federal distric
bench. This is The case Of the Hitchma
Coal and Cole Company vs. job
Mitchell and other officers OF the Unite
Mine workers. october u Judge Day
ton granted the company a temporar
[ restraining order, ard the other day h
made the injunction permanent.
1t prevents the limited Mine Worker
- from attempting to interfere with tn
employees Of She company for the pun
/ pose of uniOnizing them. 1t is not al
legged there has been any violence o
the part of the mine workers. The Iabo
people contend the court has gone e
extreme lengths in granting an injunC
ton in this case. and that it is argU