The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1908-09-17
Don't Wabble;
Hit the Mark.
The Crisis Is At Hand In the Industrial Affairs
of Our Country and the Civic Rights of the
Working People Must Be Protected---By
Samuel Gompers.

Various ''independent'' and
third party schemes are being fost-
cred by certain ''interests" in
order to deceive the men of labor,
to divide their vote and to nullify
their determination to achieve real
independence in this campaign by
uniting in casting their votes for
the great party which has declared
for labor.
No one with the slightest know
ledge of practical politics antici-
pates that any ''independent' or
that party can be successful in this
campaign. Not even the candi,
dates of ''independent'' parties
pretend to expect to be elected.
What, then, is the function of
all "independent" third parties in
this campaign7 What is their
effect on the battle of two great
parties for supremacy
1t is a well. established custom
in politics for the dominant party
to divide the opposition to it into
as many "independent' camps as
possible, thus dispensing the
united vote which, cast solidly
against it, might encompass its
defeat. This is what is being done
this year by the promotion of Gin
dependent" third party schemes.
TO the men of labor engaged in
their present contest it matters
not how good the platform of
third party may be or even how
plausible is the argument of its
leaders.
What the working people need
now is not promises which can not
be carried out, but legislation
which can be secured in the near
future.
The Republican party and its
candidate for the presidency, Mr..
Taft, have spoken. Where labor
is not ignored it is either insulted
or the aim is evident to rivet the
chains of injustice still more firmly
upon the masses of the toilers.
The Democratic party and its
for presidency, Mr..
Bryan, has also spoken. The
latter gave absolute assurance in
their declarations for all that labor
hS WI Ming PSoPlS anu
their friends and the public-spirit
ed public can elect the candidate
of the party which has made
labor's contentious for justice its
own-real independence, in this
consists in the workers
voting for this candidate.
We have said before that the
to theItOilerS aStO
their action in this campaign is on
account of the fact that the Re
publican party worse than ignored
labor's demands for justice and
inSulted the toilerS in its attitude
and declarations; that the Demo
cratic party cordially and sympa
made labor'S contentious
its own.
What we say here is not neceS
Sarily in derogation of the principle
an honest ''inde-
pendent: movement which may
be Il necessity at certain times and
under certain conditions. but not
this year.
We desire at this time, however,
to point out that those who vote
for any third party "iudependent'
ticket are helping the harty hostile
to labor's rights and interests to
success, just as much as if they
voted that ticket straight.
We wish all the workers and
their friends to understand that in
this campaign these third party
independent; movement are often
merely Republican side-shows.
Without the knowledge of their
deluded adherents they are some
times financed and most un
scrupulously manipulated to
ensure the continued dominance
and success of the party most
closely allied with the ''intereStS'
and representing them. Do our
men of labor and their friends
wish to aid in accomplishing any
such result! If not, they must
Scrutinize keenly these speeious
third party movements put for
ward to defeat by indirection
labor'S effort to enforce its de-
mands oriustice and right
The real battle is between the
two great parties Republican
and Democratic. Choose between