The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1924-09-05

NOT LABOR
LEADERS
Presidents Crowd Merely
Friends of Government.
EmpIoye,
Employee,
Times Washington bureau.


ASHINGTON, Sept. 5.-That
IWI Labor day audience" ad-
" dressed by President Coolidge
and represented in an official White
House news bulletin as a delegation
of labor leaders who visited the
President" was composed. not Of
labor leaders. but of the friends Of
T. V. O'Connor, chairman Of the
United States shipping Board.
O'Connor is authority for this
statement.
Did you pay the bills for the Wis
itors?" Mr.. O'Connor was asked.
Go ask the men themselves" he
replied
The men had already left Wash
ington.
Pressed for reply, o'connor said
angrily:
We'll, what If did pay their no
tel bills and such? They are my
friends Haven't I a right to pay
my friends bills If I feel like it?"
He Knows Nothing"
While O'Connor was trying TO jus
tify the free trip to Washington
and return to hear President Cool
idge." Chairman Butler Of the Re
publican national committee and Sec
retry Slemp were busily engaged in
reviving the "KnowNOt party"
IT know nothing about the whole
proposition. 1t all happened so
quickly that didn't know about it
until It was all over" said Chair
man Butler.
Il know nothing. absolutely moth
Ing. about the matter. It was all
handled ty O'Connor, said Sec
rotary Slemp.
Slemp said the President also
knows nothing.
Labor leaders, however, know
something. TIE current issue OF
Labor" the organ of the railroad
brotherhoods, said:
lone of the rawest' political fakes
ever attempted in n presidential cam
paigr was staged in Washington on
Labor day. 1t was engineered by
L V. O'Connor, chairman Of the
Shipping Board. with the coopera-
ton and full approval Of President
Coolidge.
1T IS ev1dent-although the White
House statement carefully avoided
Ibis important point-that not one
Of the visitors was the Official rep
rese9tative of his organization.
Some on Paw Roll
Among them were a number who
are on the pay roll Of either the Gov
eminent or the Republican national
committee. including Joseph Mac
Ardle, 4 member Of the brotherhood
Of Railroad Trainmen. but now head
Of the labor bureau in President
COolidges Eastern headquarters.
Until Sunday, Aug 81, Mac Ardle
was an employee in the Interstate
Commerce Commission).
THE object of the demons4ratienl
at the White House was two.fold. .
First. President Coolidge's cam
paign managers have become serious
ly alarmed over the wholesale de-
lection Of workers from the Repub-
lican ranks. In the beginning Of the
campaign the Republican politicians
were consoling themselves with the
thought that there is no such thing
s the labor vote Now they are
discovering that 1t Is very real in
fuence and that the organized work
ers are supporting La Toilette and
Wheeler as they never supported 4
presidential ticket in this country.
Second. the Coolidge managers
wanted to crowd the opening
speeches OF Senator La Toilette and
Wheeler of the first page Of Amerl-
can newspapers. e.. When this fact
trickled through to the Republican
managers they decided labor
party must he arranged for the
President
They soon found that none Of the
leaders of organized labor would par
ticipate in the affair, 80 they pro
ceeded to bring to Washington and
the White House any trade unionist
in the Eastern tSates who could be
induced to help out.
1T was the first time a President
Of the United States found It
necessary to hire an audience to
listen to his views