Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-06-28
Declaration of Six Chiefs,
/ Mostly Railroad Workers
Representatives, Favor Nc
4 Ado0 With Threat of Third
1 Party if He is not Named
Presiden of New York Fed
Grafton of Labor Declares for
Gov. Smith

New York, June 27-The rivalries
of William G. McAdoo and Governor
Alfred z. Smith in the Democratic
presidential nomination race tonight
brought forth a dispute among labor
leaders as to which of the two best
representative interest of organized
labor.
Six labor chiefs, mostly representing
railroad workers, issued a declaration
| that Mr.. McAdoo must be nominated
or organized labor would support the
third party movement expected to be
inaugurated next week at Cleveland.
The declaration, made in formal
statement issued through the McAdoo
headquarters, hardly had time to be
| distributed before James A. Holland,
president of the New York State Fed
Grafton of Labor, came out with an
| assertion that between Mr.. McAdoo
and Governor Smith those labor men
who know the labor records of both
prefer Governor Smith," The mani
festo was signed by Timothy Shea of
the Brotherhood of Locomotive Fire
men; 3. NJ. Jewell, head Of the. rail-
way division of the American Fedora
tion of Labor: A. o. Wharton, labor
member of the Railway Labor Board;
J.A. Franklin, president of the Boiler
makers and Iron Shipbuilders' Union:
]. q. Luhrson of the Brotherhood of
Railway Photographers. and L. f. Mil
, linen of the Brotherhood of Mainte-
nance of Way Employees.
There is no other available Demo-
p, cratic candidate to whom the working
| man will give the same unqualified
support" the Statement said. Neither
; the Republican party nominee nor the
platform adopted by the Republican
| convention is acceptable to the organ
lied workers affiliated with the con-
ference Tor progressive political action.
The sentiment among the great
mass of the organized wage earners
is overwhelmingly for McAdoo. and in
| the judgment of these leaders he must
be the nominee If the leaders are to
go to the convention conference for
progressive political action on July 18th
at Cleveland and vote against the plac-
ing OF an independent candidate in the
held. They have the necessary votes
to prevent the successful launching Of
| an independent movement.
IF Wall Street, the Democratic
bosses and their representatives of
big business wish to divorce these
workers from the Democratic party
in the present campaign they will con-
tinue their opposition to Mr.. McAdoo.
They do not realize the state of mind
of labor; and of the masses of the peo-
pie for truly progressive candidate.
The present activities of some of the
Democratic bosses can be likened to
nothing more clearly than the fiddling
of Nero while Rome burned"
The statement declared that more
than 40 representatives of labor or
CARNATIONS were attending the con-
venti2r and working support CT Mr..
AIcAdoJs candiiacv.
Mr.. McAdoo remained in his hotel
quarters receiving delegations and
holding conferences. The Ku Klux
Khan. League of Nations and other
platform questions entered into these
conferences. but neither Mr.. McAdoo
nor his lieutenants issued any formal
statement.