The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1922-12-08

DuIlHB JIG year 1871 ILlC ~
of L. National Non-Partisan Po-
litical Campaign Committee by the
direction of the Executive Council
! began to plan for the elections in
1922. 1t was believed that frequent
communications with all labor or
CARNATIONS would be the means of
stirring the membership to the nee
essary enthusiasm to bring about
results when the time came for
them to select candidates either in
the primaries or elections.
In December, 1921, by authority
| and direction of the executive coun-
Gil, circular letters were sent to
all state declarations and city cen
| trail bodies warning the wage earn
rs of the country of the reactionary
forces that were guiding legislation.
All organizations in their respective
localities were urged to appoint leg
islative committees to keep a rec
ord of the votes on measures of in
terest to labor by members of their
respective state legislatures. These
committees were advised that dur
ing the ten Forthcoming political
campaign they could become non
partisan political campaign commit
tees to further the interests Of labor
and the people. They were also in
formed that the records of all mem
bers Of congress in their respective
states or districts would be sent
them when the campaign opened.
Printed reports on legislation be-
fore congress under the heading
"What Congress is Doing or Not
Doing" were sent to all colleges,
state declarations, city central bodies,
building trades councils and the La
Dor Press.
March 8, 1929, circular letters
were sent to all state declarations
of labor and city central bodies in
which it was urged that all munich
pal and state non-partisan political
campaign committees should become
more active than ever. They were
advised to hold mass meetings and
to confer with farmer and other or
CARNATIONS of liberty loving people
for the purpose of acting in harmony
in the primaries and on election
day.
April a, 1922, another circular was
addressed to all organizations of
labor informing them that it was
vital to the protection of labor's in
terest and welfare that a vigorous
campaign be conducted to place in
the national congress and the state
legislatures men who, without re-
gard to party affiliation, would
serve the dictates of justice and not
the autocratic domination of the eX-
plotting interests. This was fol
lowed by a circular being sent to
all organizations of labor on May
/, 1922, calling attention to the fact
that every energy should be used
in the primaries to nominate mem
bers of congress and the state leg
islatures who believed in progress
and even-handed justice. Encourag
ing reports were received from many
of these committees.
On July 20, 1922, a special cir
cular was sent to nearly 10000 nom
partisan political campaign commit
| tees outlining what should be done
to make the campaign a success and
in which they were urged to give
as wide publicity as possible to the
following principles:
"No freedom loving citizen should
vote for any candidate who will not
pledge himself to oppose any form of
compulsory labor law;
"No justice loving citizen should
vote for any candidate for any of
flee who will not pledge himself to
| oppose injunctions and contempt
| proceedings as a substitute for trial
by jury;
"No freedom loving citizen should
vote for any candidate who will not
pledge himself to vote for legisla-
ton abolishing child labor"
Early in the year conferences were
held with the representatives in
Washington of the various farmers
| organizations. These were very
helpful in reaching an understanding
as to many of the candidates. Dur
! ing the campaign the committee was
| certain candidates for congress were
acceptable to labor as they did not
wish to endorse anyone unfriendly
to labor or oppose those friendly to
labor. A remarkable feature of this
questioning as to legislative records
showed that in every instance the
farmers were supporting or were
willing to support the same candi-
dates as labor. The committee feels
that this cooperation will continue
to a greater extent in the future.
/ During September, 1922, the in
diyidual records of every member
of the United States Senate and
House of Representatives were
brought down to date and sent to
all central bodies and nearly 10000
local unions in the respective states
and districts. Special circulars were
also prepared for each state, which
were sent to all central bodies and
local unions. These circulars pointed
out the legislation which reaction
had prepared for passage in the
coming session of congress. They
also called special attention to the
attitude toward labor of members of
the Senate.
The publicity department of the
American Federation of Labor was
very helpful in spreading broad
cast the principles of labor and in
acquainting the voters with the is
sues at stake. Never in the history
of the non-partisan movement has
there been such activity among cen
trail bodies, local unions and in
dividual members.
Applications by unions and in
dividuals for legislative records. of
members of congress on measures
of interest to labor were received in
great number and promptly COM
piled with.
The committee believes that
through labor's influence many VIC
tories were won. It was feared that
the interjection of third party can
didates in Minnesota and Washing
ton would defeat the hopes of la