The Tomahawk., 1919-11-13

sorry and forbfdding strikes until ar
| bitration shall have been attempted.
But since law delaying strtkes is
| just as abhorrent to the labor unions
| as is a law forbidding strikes alto
! gether, the house scheme has no spe'
cial advantage, from a political stand
point, over the Cummins plan.
Everywhere 81 trade union circles,
and notably an ong the railroad men.
the threatened restrictive laws
against them have aroused a dee1
interest in political action. They ars
talking of a big Labor party move
| ment, to be organized within the next
three months, and to step into the ma
tional field in the spring with full
ticket in the primary elections in
most of the states. The railroaders
are confident that they can reach an
! understanding with the progressive
organizations Of farmers. notably the
Nonpartisan league, upon plat
form and upon candidates in agrt.
cultural communities.
Watson Explains.
Senator Watson Of Indiana has de-
MED, upon the senate floor, that he
was ever the conf1dant or friend of
the Chicago meat packers, and claims
that he has been vindicated of the
lobby charges made by the late Null"
hall against him. His sole interest
in the attack he has made upon the
political views Of many of the experts
employed by the federal trade COM
mission in the investigation Of the
packers, he says, is that he has deter
mined to fight Socialists, and an
archists" and their "hydra-headed"
propaganda as long as he remains In
public life.
The senate committee on interstate
commerce will probably start the in
quiry into the Watson charges within
week or two. A battle royal be-
tween the federal trade commission
and the packer sympathizers in and
around the senate will ensue.
Congressman Expelled.
Honey" Fitzgeralds career in tho
house of representatives came to an
ignominious close this week when he
was thrown out by the overwhelming
vote of the house without even the
consolation of a rollcall, and Repre-
sentative Peter Taguc was seated in
his stead.
Honey Fitz" is one of the cinders
In Boston's political eye. He did not
live in the downtown tenement and
business region from which Martin
Lomasney, boss of the Democratic
machine for 20 years past, sent him
to Washington. According to "Hon.
ey's" friends ON the floor Tague had
no right to protest when Lomasney
voted hundreds of floaters against him
in three precincts of the lodging.
house region, because Tague himself
had a previous term in the house by
Lomasney's decree.
However, Fitzgerald was q bit more
than the house, Republican house
could swallow. The steal was too
raw, and although they had to give
the place to Tague, who is likewise a
Democrat, they were glad to givo
Lomasney a shaking in the process.
In proof that Lomasney had been q
much-maligned citizen, Representa-.
tive Gallivan asserted that the old
boss does good, 18 working hours
of the day." and that he docs not
have to do anything now-he has
made his money Every man who
has come to the house from that dis
trict in two decades, according to Gal
livan, has come because Martin
| Lomasney sent him."
Massachusetts Politics.
Massachusetts is about to choose a
governor. The Republican candidate
for reelection is Coolidge, who as gov
ernor has directed the attempt-thus
far in vain-to break the strike of the
Boston policemen. Two hundred e1.
service men among the 400 strikers
have sent a letter to Coolidge, asking
him, in view Of his charge that they
are traitors and towards, why he did
not enlist in the Spanish war when
he was fitted by age, single condition
Of life and good health to do so. The
signers of this challenge took part in
much of the hardest fighting on the
western front in France, and have the
crosses and citations to prove their
valor. They struck because they would
otherwise have been dismissed from
the force for having Joined the union.
The Democratic nominee Is r. H.
Long, a shoe manufacturer, who had
over $20,OO0,0O0 Of war contracts, and
much Of whose product was rejected
as rotten" He made army saddles
and harness. After great quantity
Of his stuff had been turned back -
worthless, his output became more
satisfactory. Testimony by army in
spectors IL now being taken before
the house committee on army, expen-
ditures.
One of the big packers has just paid
q fine Of $500 for altering freight
bills of lading so ~ to get an unjustE'
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