Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-08-23
BOTH OLD PARTIES
I. CONFIDENTLY GONG
AFTER LABOR VOTE
Endorsement by Federation's
Council Means Nothing,
Politicians Agree
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Especial Leased Wire to The Journal-Cop!
right 1924


the Republican and Democratic cam
paign homogeneous are going after
the labor vote. And this notWlth-
standing the Endorsement by the
American Federation of Labor OF
the La Toilette Wheeler ticket.
The two major parties feel that
the opportunity Of the laboring man
in America depends upon sound bust
ness conditions, and continued en-
ployment. They are prepared 20
demonstrate that votes given to La
Toilette and Wheeler mean only
business chaos, a period of uncer-
tainty and retrenchment all along
the line and much suffering to the
unemployed.
The Republican argument is that
the protective tariff means good
wages and prosperity. The Demo
Gratis contend that when the Wilson
administration was in power the
highest wages in the history OF
American labor were paid. These
two ideas will dominate the appeals
of the Republican and Democratic
party. But there will be still an
other method of approach to the
laboring man. Does he want groups
AID factions to dominate the next
congress or does he want PERIOD
of inaction? 1t is conceded that the
La Toilette ticket cannot elect
enough members of the senate ana
house to control that body. Does
the Iaboring man want the wheels
of legislation to be stopped altogeth-
er and a two-year DEADLOCK?
The Republican party is able 10
function if it obtains sufficient
majority Of conservatives, and the
Democrats are insisting that they
have fewer insurgents IN their RACKS
than have the Republicans, AMI that
the Democratic party can operate
efficiently if given contlol of the
executive and Legislative machinery
as occurred IN the eight years of the
Wilson administration.
The laboring man is in some re-
spects a radical. Many of the men
who are for the La Toilette w heeler
ticket are Socialists and radicals VINO
believe that change in the economic
order could be accomplished without
pain to their fellow Workmen, but
the vast majority of laborIng men,
Judging by past Campaigns, are Keen
ly interested i'll keeping their JOBS
and having a good wage PAID thehl'
Anything that is likely to disturb
their Jobs worries them. The Repub-
licans in many national campaigns
have been able to turn the tide OF
1a;, Jtr,nntiny1
simple device of raising the cry OF
panic and business depression Whlcn
was supposed to be the accompahl-
ment of Democratic administrator
The Democrats for years felt the
handicap because they had not peeh
in power and could not point to
record of good business conditions.
The last Democratic administration,
from 1892 to 1896, was accompanied
bv a period of business upset. The
Democrats were, therefore, very Slad
when they were able in the eight
wears of the Wilson administration
to prove that their control of gov
eminent not only did not hurt bust
ness, but helped labor. The real OBJ
lection to Democratic rule was that
il had not been tried in many years.
The same kind of argument now Is
going to be used with the working
man to dissuade him from casting
his ballots for the La Toilette Wheel
err ticket. General Dawes, in his &C
ceptance speech, referred to me
third party ticket as symbolizing a
system OF administration which was
"unsound" and ''untried.'
Opposed to Experiments
The working man wants no expert
ments that are likely to hurt him.
He is at heart a conservative in the
sense that he does not want change
except for the better If he thinks
the Democratic party will bring a
return to the high wages of the Will
son administration he may lean that
way If he thinks his present wages
are high enough and that employ
ment will be continued by having no
interruption of the Republican adj
ministration, he will vote against any
change.
But if he 'once gets it into his
head that the La Toilette ticket
means business uncertainty, all the
Endorsement of the American Fed
GRAFTON Of Labor and local labor
leaders will not prevent him from
voting in secret as he really believes.
The general impression has been
conveyed that la, or has been a solid
political Unit in all campaigns. 1t
las not been. But it has a fluctuat-
ing vote and the best analysts Of TIE
election returns of previous years
ooncede that labor usually votes for
the party it believes Will immediate
~ improve business conditions,
wages and employment. AS proof of
the relatively little influence which
the American Federation of Labor
has had in past campaigns, the eX-
perienCe of 1918 is cited. In that
campaign President Wilson had the
support of Samuel Gompers, who
! endeaVored TO make a speech in New
York in favor of Democratic con-
sress, but he was Kissed and booed
by one of the important trade unions.
He has maintained for the most part
a policy of -partisanship largely
because the membershie of the
American Federation of Labor IS
divided between the two major
par ties. The old socialist vote, how
ever. still survives. This, plus the
=. aggressive attitude of the bic rivals
of the American Federation. namely
The railroad trotherhoods and the
political situation inside labor's
rank, brought out the formal in
dorscmt 1T of La Toilette
The TWO major parties have no
been discouraged by it but are lay
I ing their lines for an even more Wig.
orous campaign TO retain the labor
vote.