The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-05-04
Issue Says Promises Galore Have
Party's Sincerity Is Doubted.

their. minds the knowledge that once
before they were promised something
and that it ended with promise.
And for this reason 1t will become
necessary. If those in charge of demo
cratic affairs hope to rally to their
support In enthusiastic numbers, those
to whom they would appeal by their
platform declarations, that they give
some positive assurance that their
promises will be kept There are
many men in the ranks Of organized
labor In this state who in years gone
by have stood loyalty by the Democrat
ic party. believing that through II
more could be hoped for than through
any other. who have arrived at the
same point OF view as has Governor
Marshall. that q political party is but
the means to an end: an agency
through which can be accomplished
those things that appear necessary to
the we'll being Of our affairs, and that
it becomes the duty OF the party placed
in power honorably to discharge its
obligations.
And it is along this line that the
campaign will be fought this year:
it is along this line that the voters
must be appealed to. II the demo-
Gratis cannot convince the voters of
their entire sincerity, IL the party can
not come over to this view, then when
the votes are counted on the Sth OF
next November we are very much
afraid 1t will be discovered another
golden opportunity viii have been
lost
The Union says that while the indi-
cations now are that the democrats
will carry Indiana next fall, '.it should
not be forgotten that November is
some time in the future, and while the
issues have largely been made, much
will depend on the manner in which
they are presented to the people. And
the voters this year to greater ex-
tent than has possibly ever before been
the. case in this country. are inclined
toward independence in their political
tendency
1t Is true, as the Union says. that the
democratic platform two years ago
made many promises to organized la
Dor and to the workingman In gener-
al. But it is also true that when the
time came for the Democrats to fulfill
their campaign promises they failed to
make good. In fact, they turned
down everything that organized labor
asked at their hands.
1t is a fact, also, that IL 1t had not
been for the support which organized
labor gave the democrats during the
last campaign the democrats could not
have carried Indiana. Organized la
Dor made vigorous campaign in this
state against James e. Watson, repub
lican candidate for governor, because
OF the way he voted on certain bills In
congress. Labor said Watson voted
against its interests. Organized la
Dor campaigned against Taft as q. can
didate for president, because, it de
clared. he had. while a United State.
Judge, used the writ OF injunction
when it should not have been used il
labor disputes.
The Indiana State Federation of La
Dor brought Samuel Gompers and 9th
er labor leaders from over the count,
into Indiana and conducted a whirl
wind campaign during the latter day,
| of the 1908 campaign. They sen
Gompers through the state on specia
trains and special cars and he mad,
dozens of speeches against Watson ant
| Taft. Watson was defeated and TAT
/ carried the state by only small. plu
rality. Labor took to itself the credi
for having brought about this result
and it was entitled to the credit, with
out doubt
The democrats had made promises t,
organized labor that they would do Ger
tain things in the legislature II labo
would help the democrats to carry TIL,
state. Labor helped to carry tn
state and then the democrats refused
| to carry out their part of the agree
ment. Representatives Of union labo
were at the state house throughout tn
session of the legislature, and they di,
their best to get the democrats to re
deem their pledges. hut they failed
Not a single thing did the democrati
majority give union labor that the,
had promised to give.
/ The labor people became sore owe
the treatment they had received at tn
hands of the democrats. So sore an,
mad were they, in fact, that after TIL
house had turned down some of tn
propositions favored by labor repre-
sentatives of organized labor announe
ed that they would form new part.
and undertake to right their owl
wrongs. They said they could n,
longer have any faith in political par
ties to do anything for them. and tina
they would organize a party tina
would do something for labor.
1t was announced that the new la
Dor party would be launched in time t,
take part in the indianapolis city cam