The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1920-12-30
MIR. ZIHLMAN FOR CABINET
Claimed That He Has Inside Track for
Secretary of Labor Portfolio.


learned here, at this time, in addi-
ton to the selection of Harry Dough-
erty, Will Hays, and in all probability
former Senator Weeks, of Massachu-
sets, for Cabinet posts, Representa-
tive Frederick N. Zihlman, of Mary
land, is said to have the inside track
for appointment as secretary of La
Dor.
At first it was reported that Rep
,resentative John l. Nolan, of Cali
fornia, had good chance to become
head of the labor department. 1t has
developed, however, that there is con-
siderable opposition to Nolan's ap-
pointmnt. These objections are based
on the report that the Californian,
while labor man, is a radical closely
associated with Senator Hiram John
son, who is understood to be backing
the Nolan candidacy. Johnson is a
radical of radicals, and was a formi-
dable foe to Harding's nomination at
Chicago. This in itself, according to
many Washington observers, will pre-
vent Mr.. Harding accepting any Cab
met recommendations that johnson
may make. Then, too, it is said No
Ian had very little to do with Cali
fornia going Republican in the last
election. Nolan has the backing of
President Samuel Gompers, of the
American Federation of Labor, but in
view of the violent attacks made by
Mr.. Gompers on Senator Harding dur
ing the last campaign the otherwise
powerful influence of the American
Federation of Labor will not amount
to very much if anything with Mr..
Harding. Gompers' and Johnson's adj
vocacy of Nolan's appointment are
said here to be very detrimental to the
Californian's Cabinet chances it is said
the endorsement of these two men
practically put Nolan out of the Cab
met race.
On the other hand Representative
Zihlman, a union labor man in his
whole career, who carries union card,
has many factors in his favor for ap-
pointment to the Cabinet as secretary
of labor. To begin with, Mr.. Zihlman
is not a radical. While he is labor
ing man, having been a glass blower
by trade for many years and is a
former president of the Maryland
State Federation of Labor, he has al
ways been safe and sane" member
of union labor organizations and has
never been found on the side of wild
eyed radical labor agitators and lead
ers. The American Federation of La
Dor perforce would be obliged to en-
dorse Zihlman for the Cabinet, as he
is real laboring man, and a union
man to the core, but an endorsement
of the Federation under present cir
cumstances could not add one whit to
Zihlman's Cabinet chances, in fact,
would be a drawback rather than an
advantage. The federation has of
fically approved Zihlman's career in
the House, and he has always been
right on all labor legislation. The
Marylander is recognized in the House
as true friend of labor. That Zihl-
man has always been favorable to la
Dor is shown by the fact that the Con-
gressional records prove him to have
voted for eighteen measures favor
able to labor since he has been a men,
Der of the House during the past four
years. One of the big things for la
Dor Zihlman accomplished in the
House was remedial legislation for the
postal clerks. The National FEEDER
alton of Postal Clerks has endorsed
the efforts of the Maryland represen-
tative for that legislation.
Zihlman is well qualified to serve as
secretary of labor. In addition to his
long and creditable labor record he
served in the Maryland State Senate
for four sessions and for two sessions
was unanimously chosen republican
floor leader. He was elected to the
Sixty-ffth and Sixty-sixth Congress
and was reelected last November to
the Sixty-seventy and next Congress.
While in Congress he has been closely
identified with the labor group but he
is not and never has been one of those
rabid labor leaders who put labor even
above the interests of the Republic
and the whole people. In other words
he is an experienced, well balanced
able legislator and laboring man, who
would make the best secretary of Ia
Dor that Mr.. Harding could select
Mr.. Zihlman, while no demagogue has
always stood for the rights of the
people, rather than for the advantages
of favored few. This is shown by
the endorsement of him by the Ma
tional Federation of Federal Employ
es. AS a member of the War Con-
gress he labored night and day for
the victory of the United State, and
before and during the war and since
the Armistice has always stood for