Evening star., 1924-08-21
BOTH PARTIES HOPE.
! FOR LAB0R'S VOTE.
Republicans and Democrats
Defiant of La Toilette Hold
on Workers.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Both the Republican and Demo-
cratic campaign managements are
going after the labor vote. And this,
notwithstanding 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 business
conditions and continued employment.
They are prepared to demonstrate
that votes given to La Toilette and
Wheeler mean only business chaos. a
period of uncertainty and retrench-
ment 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 parties.
But there will be still another method
of approach to the laboring man.
Does he want groups and factions to
dominate the next Congress or does
he want period of inaction? 1t is
cenceded d that the La Toilette ticket
cannot elect enough members of the
Senate and House to control that
body. Does the laboring man want
the wheels of legislation to be stopped
altogether and d two-year deadlock? I?
Both After Control.
The Republican party is able to func-
ton if it obtains a sufficient majority
of conservatives and the Democrats are
insisting that they have fewer inSur-
gents in their ranks than have the Re-
publicans. and that the Democratic
party can operate efficiently if given
control 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 Follette-Wheeler
ticket are socialists and radicals. who
believe that change in the economic
order could be accomplished without
pain to their fellow-workmen, but the
vast majority of laboring men. judg-
Ing by past campaigns. are keenly in
terested in keeping their jobs and hav-
Ing a good wage paid them.
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
labor votes in their direction by the
simple device of raising the cry Of
panic and business depression, which
was supposed to be the accompani-
ment of a Democratic administration.
The Democrats for years felt the han
dicap because they had not been in
power and could not point to record
Of good business conditions. The last
Democratic administration of 1892 to
1895 was accompanied by a period of
business upset. The Democrats were
therefore very glad when they were
able in the eight years Of the Will
son administration to prove that their
control of Government not only did
not hurt business but helped labor.
Unxound and Untried.
The real objection to Democratic
rule was that it had not been tried
in many years. The same kind of ar
gument now is going to be used with
the workingman to dissuade him from
casting his ballots for the La Toilette
Wheeler ticket. Gen. Dawes in his
acceptance speech referred to the
third ticket as symbolizing a system
of administration which was "un-
sound" and "untried."
The workingmen wants no expert
ments that are likely to hurt him. He
Is at heart a conservative in the
sense that he doesn't want change
except for the better If he thinks
the Democratic party will bring a re-
turn to the high wages of the Wilson
administration, he may lean that way
If he thinks his present wages are
high enough and that employment
will be continued by having no in
terruption of the Republican admin
istration, 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 indorse-
ments of the American Federation 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 labor has been a solid
political unit in all campaigns. It has
not been. But it has a f1uctuating
vote and the best analysis of the cleo
tion returns of previous years con-
cede that labor usually votes for the
party which it believes will immedi-
ately improve business conditions,
wages and employment.
Labor Vote Split.
AS proof of the relatively little in
f1uence which the American Fedora
tion of Labor has had in past cam
paigns, the experience of 1918 is cited.
had the support of Samuel Gompers
who endeavored to make speech in
New York in favor of a Democratic
Congress, but he was hissed and
booed by one of the important trade
unions. He has maintained for the
most part a policy OF ncn-partisan-
ship largely because the membership
of the American Federation of Labor
Is divided between the two major
M rNy VI, ~
ever, still survives. This, plus the
aggressive attitude Of the big rivals
of the American mely
the railroad brotherhoods and the Do
Htical situation inside labor's ranks
brought out the formal Endorsement
of La Toilette. The two major par
ties have not been discouraged by it,
but are laying their lines for an even
more vigorous campaign to retain the
Ia hor VITA