Evening star., 1925-08-03
Labor and Politics.

The American Federation of Labor.
through its executive council, has
again gone on record in favor of non
partisan political action, instead of
sponsoring third party movement.
The formal action of the council was
expected. Much criticism followed in
labor circles the decision of the coun-
Gil year ago to support the La Fol
lette- Wheeler national ticket. The
critics insisted 1t was a mistake to
abandon the traditional policy of non
partisan political action, under which
organized labor has indorsed and sup
ported candidates friendly to labor no
matter what party badge they wore.
The overwhelming defeat of the third
ticket, evidencing clearly that labor
divided along political lines much as
did other voters, was an added and
very definite hint that the old policy
was the better. And finally, when the
Progressives held a meeting in Chi
cago last February to determine what
steps, if any. should be taken to carry
on with the third party movement.
members of the American Federation
of Labor, the Railroad Brotherhoods
and other organizations declared fiat
ly against the entrance of labor as
such into any political party.
IN only one other national cam
paign has the American Federation of
Labor eSsayed to throw its support to
a party as such. When Woodrow
Wilson was a candidate to succeed
himself in 1916, the campaign com
mittee of the federation declared in
his favor. But even then. the action
of the Federation was in support of
President Wilson as a friend of labor.
rather than as a Democrat
The announcements made yesterday
by the executive council of the
American Federation of Labor frank
ly declares that the non-partisan po-
litical policy has passed through the
crucible of experience and has proved
to be the best plan yet adopted for
deed, organized minorities beside the
American Federation of Labor have
found this to be true to such an ex-
tent that the charge is frequently
made today that the country really is
governed by organized minorities.
The American Federation of Labor.
through non-partisan political action.
eXerts a powerful influence in both
the old major political parties. It's
control of candidates and legislation
from within is much more effective
than if 1t stood apart as an organ
lied political minority.
Organized labor in this country so
far has turned it's face against the
establishment of a labor party in
politics. 1t has wisely decided that
the problem of labor is economic be-
fore it is political, and that it can be
solved more readily through non-par-
tisan action, seeking to bring all DO
litical parties to a more friendly at
titude toward labor, and waving the
vote of labor as a club over the heads
of unfriendly candidates for office.
1t would be as unwise for organized
labor to set up political party in
this country as it would for the capi.
talists to attempt the orga nization of
a capitalist party. The American
people look askance on class divi-
sions. They still have faith in the
United States as the land of oppor-
tunity, where the rich and poor alike
must take their chances, and where
the old saying still holds good that it
is "only three generations from shirt
sleeves to shirt sleeves"