The Connecticut labor press. (New Haven, Conn.) 191?-1921, 1920-02-14
Campaign Launched at Last State
Convention Well Under Way
By Executive Board-Will Go
Before Party Conventions and
Seek Favorable Action-To Get
Workers Enrolled For Caucuses
Most Important Immediate Eff
fort. ---

ganized Labor to enter the political
field not as a separate party, but IN
a concentrated effort to secure the cleo
ton to national congressional and state
offices of men friendly to the cause of
the worker, which was announced Off
cially this week from Washington, has
been in operation in Connecticut for
months past and has already reached
stage where dehnate campaign IS al
ready under way for action throughout
the state this fall. Following instruc-
tions given at the last meeting of the
Connecticut Federation of Labor, the
executive board has completed plans for
coming elections. The comparative sue
cess Of the efforts of two years ago in
electing friends to the state legislature,
which was done on not nearly SO COM
prehensive or united an effort, argue
well for the success of the present
movement.
Under the plans already mapped out
the executive board will appear at the
conventions of both big parties, both
for national convention delegates and
congressional and state officers and lay
Labor's desires before them. A request
will be made to have them declare def
nately in the platforms adopted, the at
titude toward Labor's rights, their
stand upon national and state questions
more indirectly affecting Labor and in
fact to have a straight out-and-out de-
claration of principles instead of the
verbal camouhage that has CLOSED over
Labor's efforts in the past. On the sue
cess of this movement will largely de-
pend the support of the organized work
er to either party.
But of as much, if not far greater
importance than having the executive
board go before the conventions, is the
campaign to get the worker as an in
dividua1 right into the political ranks
where he can assert himself and his
cause direct and then see to it that his
wishes are at least listened to. To this
end the state executive board has al
ready launched a movement to induce
every worker to get right into the party
caucuses or primaries, take an active
part in the nominations and thus assure
that such men as he knows he can de-
pend ,!po. will be nominated.
The Importance of this work is en-
phasized by Secretary Ira M. Ornburn,
who point out that there and there only
can Organized Labor assert itself as
after the nominations are made, if he
has not at least attempted to take a
part in the making, the worker must of
necessity vote for the men put up or
not vote at all. One is as bad as the
other, for if not voting then the work
er is allowing the election to go by de-
fault and by not taking part in the
nominations he is also defaulting his
rights by allowing perhaps adverse in
terests to name the candidates who
may be expected naturally to have lit
tie consideration for Labor after
elected.
"Our success in the last state cleo
ton when Organized Labor gained a
marked increase in friends in the SEN
ate, shows what can be done if the
workers will only do it," says Mr.. Orn-
burn. "They must start at the root,
however, and get the idea impressed up
on them that only by taking an active
part in the apparently trivial caucuses of
the parties can they hope to accom-
plish anything. These small caucuses
elect men to larger conventions, which
in turn nominate the men who are to
be voted for and unless the laborer rec
ogniZeS the fact that in order to secure
representation he must take part in it
himself he might just as we'll quit. All
the executive boards in the world can
not impress Labor's power upon a state
or national convention when the lead
ers of the parties know full we'll that
the worker himself is not enough in
terested to go to the nominating cau-
cuses and take part.
Because of this the Executive Board
has begun a campaign which will be car
ried right on through until the con-
ventions, to get every work1ngman
voter, enrolled upon his party's caucus
list. Then we will endeavor to get that
worker out and attend the caucuses and
send men to the nominating conventions
who will at least look to the nomination
of a man who is friendly to the worker.
If the powers that be in the parties
then refuse to. recognize Labor's claims
and insist in nominating someone who is
known to be antagonistic to u.s. the mat
ter can be easily carried to the polls
and another who is perhaps not so an
tagonistic elected.
THE great trouble with the worker
is, and has been, that he has been SO
tied up with trying to secure decent
living for himself and family that he
has had no time to take part in politics
and has been content to let others do
the nominating for him and then if he
votes at ali he is either voting against
himself or for someone or something
he is not sure of. The convention of
last year discussed all that and made
up its mind that the time has come for
change and we are now out to bring
it about.
Within very short time, the COM
pleted plans will be passed on to every
local organization in the state and then
we will see what we can do about send
ing men to Congress and to state Of
fees, that wilt give Labor an even
break with other interests in the state
While the Connecticut Federation of
Labor will, of course, work in conjunc-
ton with the national movement as
manned ont hY the leaders in Washing