The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-02-19
Labor's Hat in Ring

Labor's Hat in Ring.
The American Federation of Labor.
with close to 100000 members. win
take an aggressive part in the con-
gressional elections this fall. without
/ nominating candidates Of it's own" says
| The st. Joseph News Press Und) its
plan is TO check up the candidates Of
tered by the political parties. and sup
port or oppose them according to
whether they are friendly or unfriendly
TO organized labor" And while this
paper thinks 1t would be better if all
| classes of the population would take
an interest / politics from the stand
point of the greatest good to the great
i an interest in politics from the stand
that, then the next best thing is for
them to take an interest as distinct
take an interest"
While many condemn the federation
| for attempting. as they think, to bring
about class domination, the Peoria
Transcript Qnd) is satisfied that AL
good citizens will haid its re- entrance
into poiiucS. The public should be able
to learn much by studying men whom
| organized labor in lorses and those
whom It rejects" The Minneapolis
| News Und.) goes further and says that
labor in politics does not mean class
| rule; in case the abor program sue
| ceeds 1t will mean not class rule but
! majority rule" The Manchester Union
llnd. Rep) also Endorses the policy, be-
| lieving that All that straight thinking,
seE-respecting labor leaders want is a
square deal They do not propose to
be Disseminated against, nor d. they
desire unfair discrimination in their be-
half"
The federation complains that con-
gress has failed to do its duty in labor
matters. but comments rhe Chattanooga
Times 1nd, Dem) fthere is a very de-
clded indefiniteness as to the particu-
lars However lit is promised that
as the campaign progresses specific
charges will be filed. 800 When that
has been done the public will be able
to measure the merits of the move
ment.' But in this connection the
Pittsburgh Press Qnd.) asks whether
the federation is not going to admins
ter some discipline to those members of
the Wilson cabinet who have conducted
a campaign against free speech and
made an extraordinary and unwarrant =
ed use OF iniunctions in an effort to
prevent strikes and deprive accused
| strikers of the constitutional right OF
| jury trial? The greatest menace by
| which labor has been confronted has
| CONE from the actions of the admins
| tration, not from any action of con
gress. On the other hand the Char
opSNlN Alilh' l0Ul.J tlllIlkS I0G
| federal ton will conclude that the
Democratic party is the firm friend OF
| labor and has proved it; furthermore,
| :. the very congress against which
it Is railing is Republican controlled
body"
In some quarters the announcement
| of the federation is regarded as an eff
fort to forestal the formation of an
independent labor party. This is the
view, of the New York Tribune (Rep.),
which says the federation is going to
play safe ana avoid a show down The
policy Is, therefore, "a conference OF
that organization political weakness, -
according to the San Antonio Light
tlnd). for 1.-THE labor party would not
have been strong enough to secure the
| election Of its candidates" The Cleve-
| land Plain Dealer lind. Dem) agrees
| that Mr.. Gpmpers course is the wiser
1T IS by working through the old par
ties that labor stands the best chance, "
| and the Detroit Free Press Urd) saws;
| 1T is direct countermove against
the. endeayor of some radical elements
! to form labor party. We believe that
more than anything else it is intended
as an answer to these radicals whom
Mr.. Gompers has fought tooth and nail
Tor years. $50. 1t S intended to clari-
| ~ the situation fo' the American peo-
| pie and convince them that in giving
ty ct al, they will not be indorsing
any trades union movement, but, on the
| contrary, a movement that is hostile
| to patriotic, conservative organized Ia :
| Dor"
The Minneapolis Journal lind. Rem
agrees also that this is the most ef.
| fective way" and reminds us that
| constitutional prohibition was not
| brought about hv the political prohibi-
| tionists though they labored for many
years to establish and make effective a
! third party, such organizations as The
| Antisaloon league, working through
the majority parties Accomplished far
more 10 make the country dry But
| the New York Globe GndD is certain
| mat sooner or later there WiII.ghe q
| division which will draw the svmnathies
of organized labor to a liberal or pro
| Eressive party, and the sympathies nj
! organized capital 10 conservattve
party" and adds:
and as decisive. If labor gains aims; by w c car.
ent' WIN Should # nn t"i ill., as az pres
! '''NNA - nv oioO gam ny d