The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-09-02
CALIFORNIA
LABOR BACKS
LABOR'S FOE
Socialists Refuse to Take
United Action
BY WIN. scHNElDERMAN.
Especial to The Daily Worker)


when thieves fall out" It is possible
for honest workers to find out the
true state of affairs in the California
political situation. The two outstand.
ing candidates for the republican NOM
nation for governor are F. W. Rich
ardson, present governor, and Lieut..
Gov. G. c. Young.
Richardson is the most ultra.re-
dictionary that ever ran the state of
California. He is supported by the
Southern Pacific railroad interests, be-
cause he placed one Of their leading
officials on the state railroad COM
mission, which has saved the Southern
Pacific million of dollars.
In return for this slight favor, the
head Of the Southern Pacific donated
$4,000 to the campaign treasury of
Governor Richardson. The latter is
also supported by the infamous Los
Angeles Times, which carries on the
most vicious attack upon organized
labor Of any newspaper IN America.
A Fake Liberal.
Richardson's chief opponent is c. G.
Young, who poses as liberal and pro-
gressive, with the support of the
Hearst newspapers, Senator Hiram
Johnson, and Boss" PARROT, who runs
Los Angeles. Young was a supporter
of La Toilette in the last presidential
election, but was discreet enough not
to do so too openly, and to this day
maintains benevolent neutrality re-
garding Coolidge and Dawes One of
his most powerful hackers is Paul
Scharrenberg, secretary of the Califor-
mia Federation of Labor, and head of
the state conference for progressive
political action which, together with
the socialists, conducted La Follette's
campaign in California in 1924.
How To Tell Friends of Labor"
Young has the official backing of
organized labor, in view Of the recent
action of the Los Angeles Central La
Dor Council in endorsing his candi-
dacy, which even went so far as to
circularize its affiliated membership to
register republican for the primary
elections. AS California is normally a
republican state, nomination virtually
amounts to election. The Central La
Dor Council went further, and en-
dorsed a number Of other candidates
for office, some Of whom are notorious
ly anti-labor.
The unique method they use is by
counting the number of times they
voted for a measure endorsed by La
Dor, and if it outnumbered the votes
for measures disapproved by Labor,
then they were friends Of labor" One
of the ways in which some of these
anti-labor candidates secured the en-
dorsement of the Central Labor Coun-
Gil, was by their wet" record.
Silent on Repressive Law.
Young is in no sense a labor candi-
date. For 16 years he has been a part
of the state political administration,
posing as a liberal. At the present
/ time. when asked about his stand on
the criminal syndicalist law, under
which nearly 100 l. w. w. members
we're sent to San Quentin penitentiary,
he refused to commit himself for fear
of alternating the support of some Of
the respectable" people who are be-
hind him.
The labor party which flourished in
Los Angeles three years ago is long
dead. The socialist party has nomin-
ated Upton Sinclair for governor, and
has so far refused to Join with the
Workers Party to place an independent
United Labor Ticket in the field, fear
ing to lose its place on the ballot If
they place technical considerations
above the interests of the workers and
farmers, then they are surely dis
credited in the eyes of all militants.
Socialists Refuse United Action.
Even their own locals are sending
in inquiries to the state headquarters
of the socialist party as to what stand
they are taking in regard to the Com
munists' proposal for a united front.
The indications are that the Workers
Party will be forced to place its own
candidates in the field, and continue
| its fight to unite labor's forces on the
| political field.