The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1910-07-12
ORGANIZED LABOR
rs STRONG FOR
SEN. BEVERIDGE
tcontinued from page one.''

were about the Democratic state COM
mittee room all OF the time, ana they
were called into counsel frequently By
the party leaders. The labor unions
had every reason to believe thai they
would revceive fair treatment at the
hands of the Democrats IL they would
but assist in bringing about a Demo-
cratic victory They believed the
Democrats were telling them the truth
and that they would do what they
promised to do.
So strong was the night which was
made by organized labor that Samuel
Gompers president the American Fed
: Grafton of Labor was brought into the
state for a speaking trip A special
train was provided and Gompers spent
four days in speaking all over the
state, especially in the large labor
centers His special effort was direct
ed toward Taft and Watson, but he
and the rest of the labor speakers
recommended the election of the entire
Democratic ticket
But the Democrats gave organized
labor a fine double cross after the cleo
ton. Labor had been promised legis-
lation by the Democrats. There were
several matters which the labor unions
wished to have passed by the legis-
Iature and the Democrats promised
them that the program should go
through. But when the legislature
came on and the Democrats found
themselves with a good working ma
jority they apparently forgot all about
their promises to organized labor The
fact is that labor did not get a single
thing that it had hoped to get. The
program was laid aside Although
numerous IA Eor leaders ware about the
state house throughout the session,
appearing before committees and urg-
ing the enactment of certain laws no
attention was paid to them The stu
alton finally became so strained that
some of the labor leaders began to de-
nounce the Democrats for their failure
to carry out their promises. one labor
ing man. a member of a union and also
a member OF the House, made a speech
one day in which he denounced his
Democratic colleag for their failure
to give labor what they had promised.
He predicted that labor would turn
against the Democrats as a result of
the bald faced double cross and that
the party would yet regret its action.
Even this was not sufficient to cause
the Democratic members of the legis-
lature 10 carry out their promises to
labor. The session went to a close
with nothing done in that direction.
When the union labor people found for
a certainty that they were not going
TO get what they wanted and that the
session would be a water haul for them
they were bitter in their denuneiatio
of the party that had double crossed
them. They even went far as to
announce at the close of the session
that they would form a new party
which would he the party Of the work
ingnan and which would see that he got
what he ought to have. This talk was
strong for few days, but it soon died
out. for the more conservative Of the
leaders pointed out that a new party
would not amount 20 anything and that
organized labor could pin its faith tc
the Republican party in the following
campaign.
Bht labor has not forgotten the
slight which the Democrats gave them
and this has led them to volunteer
their services to the Republican or
ganization this year
Recently man from one of the cities
OF southern Indiana who runs a labor
paper came to this city and spent some
time in sizing up the situation He
stated afterward that his paper would
support the Republican ticket this
year.
Senator Beveridge is favorfte
among the labor unions, and this is
given as one reason why the unior
members will support the Republican
ticket. He has always been a support
er of the movement TO put an end tc
child labor. He has worked during al
of his Senatorial career for the enact
ment or an ample child labor law By
Congress. He has succeeded in having
such law passed affecting the Distric
of Columbia. but the interests hav.
prevented the passage of law for tn,
country at large. But he is still at i
and declares that ne viii not quit unit
he has helped place such law on tn,
statute boovs.
A year ago last June senator Bever
idge delivered an address at the annua
convention of the Indiana Federation
OF Labor at south Bend. and in thf
speech he made an eloquent plea 70
the enactment of child labor law. an,
his speech made a deep impression OF
the delegates. They have not forgot
ten it and II is said that this speech
together with the double cross which
labor received at the hands of tn
Democrats at the last session of III,
legislature furnished union labor witt
ample incetive for supporting. the Re
publican ticket this year.
Indiana is one Of the best organize,
states in the union. in the matter .
labor organizations There is not
trade or craft in the state that is no
organized. and practically all of tn
unios are affiliated with the state Fed
GRAFTON of Labor. This does no
mean, of course, that all of the work
ing people or craftsmen IN the state ar
mem ers of labor unions. but it is
notable fact that when union labo
takes position in politics, the unor
ganized workers generally assume tn
same position and that they all go to